3D INNOVATE Pitch Deck Teardown: A Service-Based Approach

Executive Summary and Title

Slide 1: Title Page

The deck opens with the 3D INNOVATE logo, a stylized blue hexagonal/triangular shape containing a '3'. The company is identified as 'JE Garmon LLC d.b.a 3D INNOVATE.' The slide is labeled 'Investor Proposal' and includes the founder's contact information: James E. Garmon, located at 6760 Donahue Drive, Colorado Springs, CO. This establishes the company as a localized LLC seeking to expand into a broader market.

Company Identity and Motivation

Slide 2: Who We Are & Our Inspiration

The 'Who We Are' section defines the company as a '3D Innovate Print Design Tech Lab.' The stated goal is to excel in Industrial Additive Manufacturing through cloud-based services and a physical innovation hub. The text emphasizes that 3D printing will move beyond prototyping to manufacturing finished products, a shift they expect to unfold over decades. The company plans to be headquartered in Colorado Springs with national and international expansion goals.

The 'Our Inspiration' section provides a personal narrative. The founder, a former Marine with 100% disability, discusses his father's struggle with combat-related joint pain and the high cost of replacement surgeries. The slide argues that the VA and insurance companies face a 'financial drain' due to the cost of replacement parts. 3D INNOVATE proposes to partner with organizations like the VA, Children’s hospitals, and the Wounded Warrior program to offer 'lighter, stronger replacement implants and prosthetics, at a much lower cost.'

Service Offerings and Target Markets

Slide 3: What We Will Do

This slide lists the specific services and technologies the company intends to offer. Under 'Industrial Additive Manufacturing,' they list rapid prototyping, product testing, direct digital manufacture, production aids, and tooling. The 'Solutions' list includes specific technical processes: Polyjet, Stereolithography, Fused Deposition Modeling, Laser Sintering, Direct Metal Laser Sintering, Urethane Casting, CNC Machining, Tooling/Injection Modeling, Finishing, and Assembly.

The business model is further clarified as providing 'secured, cloud-based online and mobile app services' and 'in-house secured video and teleconferencing capable 3D printing labs.' These labs will be available for rent by the hour plus material fees. The slide also lists 15 target industries, including DoD, Medical, Aerospace, Automotive, and even Fashion and Art, suggesting a horizontal service model.

Financial Requirements and Projections

Slide 4: Start-up Summary

Slide 4 contains the 'Ask.' The company requires $500,000.00 to 'open and operate this business for a 12-month period.' The founder has contributed $5,000, leaving a balance of $495,000 to be sourced from investors, SBA loans, or other debt. The slide provides a specific breakdown of the $500,000 allocation: $275,000 for salaries and payroll taxes , $100,000 for equipment and training , $70,200 for miscellaneous operating expenses (including an El Paso Co. bond), $50,000 for location lease , $10,000 for marketing , $2,500 for legal/admin fees , and $1,800 for accounting .

The slide also lists six 'fundamental drivers' for adoption: Economic Low Volume Production, Increased Product Complexity, Cost Effective Product Personalization, Improved Environmental Sustainability, Optimized Supply Chains, and Increased Part Functionality.

Slide 5: Projected Sales Growth Expected

This slide consists of a single bar chart showing revenue projections over three years. The figures are: 2017: $550,000.00 , 2018: $1,650,000.00 , and 2019: $3,300,000.00 . There is no accompanying data to explain the assumptions behind these numbers, such as customer acquisition costs, average contract value, or utilization rates for the rental labs.

Market Context and Conclusion

Slide 6: A Message from JE Garmon

This slide serves as a market validation section, citing the 'Ernst & Young Global 3D Printing Report 2016.' It notes that the 3D printing market is expected to expand by 25% annually, reaching $12.1 billion by 2020. The text highlights that 38% of surveyed companies expect to use additive manufacturing on a 'grand scale' within five years. It also mentions that 41% of respondents expect to work with service providers rather than bringing the technology in-house, which supports 3D INNOVATE's service-hub model. The slide concludes by reiterating the 25% annual growth rate and the potential for 3D printing to reduce prototype time by 63% and costs by 70%.

Slide 7: Closing

The final slide is a brief thank you note, requesting a one-on-one meeting to present the full business plan. It repeats the founder's contact information and provides a professional email address: jgarmon@3dinnovate.net.

What 3D INNOVATE Does Well

The deck is highly specific about its financial needs. By breaking down the $500,000 ask into line items like 'El Paso Co. bond' and 'accounting,' the founder demonstrates that they have at least researched the local costs of setting up a physical facility. The inclusion of a personal 'Inspiration' story adds a layer of mission-driven purpose, particularly regarding the medical and veteran-focused applications of the technology.

The identification of the 'service provider' niche is also a strategic strength. By citing the Ernst & Young report's finding that 41% of companies prefer third-party shops over in-house operations, the deck justifies why a rental-lab and consulting model is viable compared to simply selling 3D printers.

What is Missing from the 3D INNOVATE Deck

The most significant omission is a Team Slide . While James E. Garmon is identified as the CEO and founder, there is no information regarding his technical background in additive manufacturing, engineering, or business management. For a company promising complex services like Direct Metal Laser Sintering and medical device prototyping, the lack of technical credentials is a major red flag for investors.

There is also a complete absence of a Competitor Analysis . The 3D printing service bureau market is crowded with established players (e.g., Protolabs, Xometry, and local machine shops). The deck does not explain how 3D INNOVATE will compete on price, speed, or quality against these incumbents. Furthermore, the Unit Economics are missing; there is no explanation of how the $550,000 in Year 1 revenue is calculated—how many customers are needed, and at what hourly rate?

Founder Takeaways: What to Copy and What to Avoid

Copy the granular budget: Many early-stage decks ask for a lump sum without explaining where the money goes. 3D INNOVATE’s breakdown on Slide 4 is a good example of showing that the founder has considered the 'boring' costs of business, such as insurance, bonds, and accounting.

Avoid the 'Wall of Text' approach: Slides 2 and 6 are densely packed with small-font text. In a live pitch, an investor will not read these paragraphs. Founders should use bullet points and large visuals to convey these points, saving the long-form prose for the written business plan mentioned on Slide 7.

Avoid generic market stats: While the Ernst & Young report provides context, it doesn't prove that 3D INNOVATE specifically will succeed. Investors want to see a 'bottom-up' market analysis (e.g., 'There are 50 medical device firms in Colorado Springs, and we have letters of intent from 3 of them') rather than 'top-down' global stats.