The 99atoms pitch deck, dated March 2015, outlines a collaborative workflow platform aimed at solving the fragmented communication and data management issues inherent in event planning. The company identifies a target market of 15 million annual events globally and positions itself as a vertical-specific alternative to general tools like Slack and Asana. The deck is structured around a narrative persona, 'John the Event Organizer,' to illustrate the transition from scattered manual processes to a centralized digital hub. Seeking $300,000 for a 12-month runway, the founders emphasize a shift f…
Key takeaways
- The platform aims to reduce communication gaps by storing all event data under one roof (Slide 1).
- The problem set focuses on geographically scattered workforces and rising execution costs (Slide 2).
- The solution is presented as a 15-step workflow from closing a deal to a successful event (Slide 3).
- The revenue model utilizes a 'Pay as you go' SaaS structure with tiered plans for different enterprise sizes (Slide 5).
- Future revenue channels include venue sourcing, e-commerce, and affiliate ticket sales commissions (Slide 6).
- The deck benchmarks against Cvent, Slack, Basecamp, and Asana to establish market context (Slide 7).
- The funding ask is $300,000 to cover a 12-month runway with a $20,000 monthly budget (Slide 9).
- The roadmap targeted 200 paying customers by February 2016 (Slide 10).
Executive Summary: The Verticalization of Project Management
The 99atoms pitch deck is a classic example of a vertical SaaS play. By taking general-purpose collaboration tools and tailoring them to the high-pressure, deadline-driven world of event coordination, the founders aimed to capture a slice of a massive global market. The deck relies heavily on a user-journey narrative to explain its utility, a common tactic for early-stage startups trying to demonstrate product-market fit.
Slide 1: Introduction
The cover slide introduces 99atoms as a platform for "Next Generation Event Coordination." It defines the scope broadly, covering everything from conferences and seminars to weddings and theme parties. The core promise is simple: bringing teams together, reducing communication gaps, and storing all data "under one roof." The branding is clean, utilizing a hexagonal logo that suggests structure and connectivity.
Slide 2: The Problem Statement
Slide 2 introduces "John the Event Organizer." This persona-based approach helps investors visualize the pain points. The challenges listed include approaching deadlines, pending tasks, geographically scattered workforces, and rising execution costs. By highlighting that "Data is scattered," the deck sets the stage for a centralized software solution.
Slide 3: The Solution Workflow
This slide uses a serpentine timeline to show how 99atoms integrates into an organizer's daily life. It tracks 15 distinct steps, starting from "John closes a deal" to the final "Event is successful." Key features mentioned in this workflow include importing task lists, real-time alerts, in-app data storage, and activity monitoring. It effectively communicates that the software isn't just a tool, but a process manager.
Slide 4: Problems Solved
Slide 4 mirrors Slide 2, showing a "happy" John. It lists the characteristics of the platform that lead to this state, such as "Effective collaborative work flow," "Instant data access," and "Realtime activity tracking." This slide reinforces the value proposition by contrasting the previous chaos with new-found efficiency.
Slide 5: Target Market and Business Model
The deck identifies the target market as teams of event coordinators who currently rely on fragmented tools like WhatsApp, Google Drive, and spreadsheets. The revenue model is described as a "Pay as you go SAAS Model" with monthly or yearly subscriptions. Importantly, it notes that there are different plans for individuals versus large planning enterprises, indicating a tiered monetization strategy.
Slide 6: The Scalable Future
This is one of the most important slides for an investor, as it shows the long-term vision. Beyond just a workflow tool, 99atoms envisions becoming a marketplace. Future revenue channels include venue sourcing, e-commerce, vendor management, and affiliate ticket sales. The slide uses a hub-and-spoke diagram to show how the core platform connects to accounting, reporting, and marketing modules.
Slide 7: Competitive Analysis
Slide 7 provides market context by citing 15 million events planned per year globally. It benchmarks 99atoms against heavyweights: Cvent ($111 million revenue), Slack (73,000 paying customers), Basecamp (800,000 projects), and Asana ($300 million valuation). While these are formidable competitors, the implication is that a specialized tool can win by being more relevant to the specific needs of event planners.
Slide 8: Go To Market Strategy
The GTM slide breaks down the target market into four segments: Freelancers, Small/Micro companies, Medium-sized organizations, and Large organizations. The marketing channels listed are standard: direct marketing, social media, blogs, SEO, and channel partners. It lacks specific detail on how they will acquire these segments differently, but it shows an awareness of the diverse customer base.
Slide 9: Funding Requirements
The "Ask" is clear: $300,000 for a 12-month runway. The breakdown is $200k for the team (specifically mentioning Engineering talent in iOS, Android, and Ruby on Rails), $50k for marketing, and $50k for operational costs. A monthly budget of $20,000 is stated, which implies a lean operation focused on product development.
Slide 10: The Roadmap
The roadmap provides a timeline from February 2015 to February 2016. It sets specific customer targets: 10 for Beta, 50 for Soft Launch, 50 paying customers for the full launch, and a goal of 200 paying customers by the end of the 12-month funding period. This gives investors a clear metric to judge the company's progress.
Slide 11: The Founders
The team slide features Pruthvi Gowda (Business Head) and Harsha.MV (Technology Head). Gowda is noted for his background at Mindtree and Asmaitha Wireless Technologies, while Harsha is described as a "wizard" with 10 years of experience in the web domain and experience building social media groups in Bangalore. The bios emphasize a mix of corporate experience and entrepreneurial hustle.
Slide 12: Conclusion
The final slide provides contact information for both founders, including phone numbers and email addresses. It is a standard, functional closing slide.
What 99atoms Does Well
The deck excels at defining a clear, relatable problem through the use of a persona. By walking the investor through the "John" narrative, the founders make a technical workflow tool feel human and necessary. The transition from a simple SaaS tool to a multi-channel marketplace (Slide 6) is also a strong point, as it suggests a much higher ceiling for the business than just subscription fees.
What Is Missing from the Deck
The most glaring omission is current traction data. While the roadmap sets future targets, the deck does not explicitly state how many users or how much revenue the company had at the time of the March 2015 pitch. Additionally, there is no mention of unit economics (CAC or LTV), which is critical for a SaaS business. The competitive analysis lists the size of competitors but doesn't provide a feature-by-feature comparison to show exactly why a user would switch from a free tool like Slack to a paid tool like 99atoms.
Founder Takeaways: What to Copy
Use a Persona: If your product is a workflow tool, use a character like "John" to illustrate the "before and after" state of using your software. It makes the benefits tangible. · Visual Roadmap: The roadmap on Slide 10 is excellent because it attaches specific customer numbers to dates. This creates accountability and shows the founder is thinking about growth, not just building. · Clear Funding Allocation: Don't just ask for a lump sum. Slide 9 shows exactly where the money goes, which builds trust with investors regarding fiscal responsibility. · Vertical Focus: The deck successfully argues that while general tools exist, the event industry has specific needs that warrant a dedicated platform. This is a strong angle for any B2B startup.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the core value proposition of 99atoms?
- 99atoms positions itself as a 'Next Generation Event Coordination' platform. Its primary value lies in centralizing collaboration for event teams, replacing fragmented tools like WhatsApp, email, and spreadsheets with a single cloud-based architecture that tracks tasks, budgets, and team communication in real-time.
- How does 99atoms plan to generate revenue?
- The initial model is a 'Pay as you go' SaaS subscription with tiered pricing for individuals and large enterprises. However, the deck outlines a 'Scalable Future' where revenue is diversified through a marketplace model, including vendor sourcing fees, e-commerce, and commissions from affiliate ticket sales.
- Who are the primary competitors identified in the deck?
- The deck identifies four major competitors across different niches: Cvent (online event solutions), Slack (team communication), Basecamp (project management), and Asana (enterprise workflow). 99atoms attempts to differentiate by combining these functionalities into a vertical-specific tool for the event industry.
- What is the specific funding requirement and allocation?
- The company sought $300,000 to fund 12 months of operations. The allocation is split into three main buckets: $200,000 for the engineering team (iOS, Android, Ruby on Rails), $50,000 for marketing (blogs, paid ads, social media), and $50,000 for operational costs like hosting and rent.
- What milestones did the company set for its first year?
- The roadmap on Slide 10 defines four key milestones: a closed Beta launch in February 2015 with 10 customers, a soft launch in March 2015 with 50 customers, a full launch in November 2015 with 50 paying customers, and a target of 200 paying customers by February 2016.
