Cerca Pitch Deck: All 10 Slides + Teardown

Executive Summary: The Social Graph as a Safety Feature

Cerca’s pitch deck is a lean, 10-slide presentation that leans heavily into the cultural zeitgeist of 'dating app fatigue.' Rather than competing on better algorithms or gamification, Cerca bets on the oldest form of matchmaking: the mutual friend. By quantifying the safety risks and rejection fears of current platforms, the deck positions Cerca not just as a dating tool, but as a social accountability layer. With reported publisher facts indicating a $1.6M Seed raise in 2024, this deck serves as a prime example of how early-stage consumer startups can trade on high referral metrics and a clear demographic focus to overcome the lack of traditional revenue data.

Slide 1: The Hook

The cover slide establishes a minimalist aesthetic with a clear, high-contrast tagline: 'The dating app for mutuals, not strangers.' This immediately identifies the company's USP (Unique Selling Proposition). The imagery—a couple looking out at the ocean—is standard for the industry but reinforces the 'meaningful relationship' angle mentioned later in the deck.

Slide 2: The Mission Statement

Slide 2 provides a concise definition of the product. It uses the word 'discretely,' which is a subtle nod to the privacy concerns inherent in dating within one's social circle. The focus is on 'mutual connections' and 'safe environments,' setting the stage for the problem/solution slides that follow.

Slide 3: The Triple Threat Problem

Cerca breaks the problem down into three pillars: Fear of Strangers, Fear of Rejection, and Hookup Culture. Slide 3 is effective because it targets emotional pain points rather than technical ones. By labeling users on other apps as 'sketchy' and lacking 'accountability,' Cerca builds a case for a walled-garden approach to dating.

Slide 4: Statistical Validation

This is the 'Facts' slide, and it is the strongest piece of evidence in the first half of the deck. It cites four key data points:

45% of 18-40 year-olds meet through mutual friends. · 90% of dating app users fear rejection. · 40% of women are off dating apps for safety reasons. · 60% of women prefer when men initiate, but 70% of men hold back.

These figures (Slide 4) provide a logical bridge from the emotional problems on Slide 3 to the product features on Slide 5. The 40% figure regarding women's safety is particularly compelling for investors, as it represents a massive, underserved market segment.

Slide 5: The Three-Part Solution

Cerca’s solution rests on Accountability, Anonymity, and Limitations. Slide 5 explains that mutual connections create a 'what goes around comes around' social pressure, which theoretically reduces harassment. The 'Limitations' aspect—limiting swipes—is a direct response to the 'too casual' nature of hookup culture mentioned on Slide 3. This slide effectively communicates that the app is designed to slow down the dating process to increase quality.

Slide 6: Traction and Virality

This is the 'money slide' for a seed-stage consumer app. Cerca reports:

13k+ downloads. · 7.8 average referrals per user. · 67% women. · 30% like/match conversion.

The 7.8 referrals per user (Slide 6) is the standout metric. In consumer tech, a K-factor (virality coefficient) above 1.0 is considered good; 7.8 suggests an extremely high level of organic growth and user trust. Furthermore, the 67% female user base is a significant 'moat' in the dating industry, which is traditionally male-heavy and struggles to retain female users due to the safety issues Cerca highlights.

Slide 7: The O2O (Online-to-Offline) Strategy

Slide 7 introduces 'Cerca Events.' By listing specific cities (NYC, LA, DC, MIA) and upcoming galas at elite universities like Harvard, Michigan, and Duke, the team demonstrates a clear Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy. This 'boots-on-the-ground' approach is reminiscent of early Tinder or Bumble, which used campus ambassadors to seed their initial networks. It also suggests a potential secondary revenue stream, though that isn't explicitly stated.

Slide 8: The Team

The team slide reveals a very young founding group. Myles Slayton (CEO), William Conzelman (CMO), and Reed Uhlik (CTO) are all seniors at Georgetown University. Carter Munk (COO) is a senior at USC. While their professional experience is limited to internships (Evercore, DC Advisory, D.E. Shaw), the deck highlights their entrepreneurial 'hustle.' For example, Slayton sold a sneaker business for $100k in 9th grade, and Conzelman generated $500k in revenue from events. This slide aims to prove that while they are young, they understand their target demographic better than older incumbents.

Slide 9: Product Sneak Peek

Slide 9 shows the actual UI. It confirms the 'mutuals' count feature and the 'Secret Admirer' function. The interface looks clean and follows modern iOS design patterns. The 'Search' feature (Slide 9) appears to allow users to search their own contacts to see who is already on the platform, which explains the high referral rate mentioned earlier.

Slide 10: The Ask

The deck ends with a clear request: a $1.5 million SAFE. The slide notes that the 'main cost drivers are development and college / event marketing.' This aligns perfectly with the strategy laid out in the previous slides. While the publisher reported a final raise of $1.6M, the $1.5M ask on Slide 10 shows the founders had a realistic grasp of their capital needs for this stage.

What Works in the Cerca Deck

1. The 'Safety First' Narrative: By leading with the fact that 40% of women have left dating apps for safety reasons, Cerca makes a compelling case for why a new app is necessary in a crowded market. They aren't just 'another dating app'; they are a safety-focused alternative.

2. Viral Growth Metrics: The 7.8 referrals per user is a 'wow' metric. For an investor, this suggests that the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) could be significantly lower than competitors who rely on heavy social media ad spend.

3. Demographic Alignment: The founders are the target audience. Their plan to launch at Georgetown, Duke, and Harvard (Slide 7) shows they are leveraging their current social standing to build the initial network effects required for a social-graph app to work.

What is Missing from the Cerca Deck

1. Competitive Landscape: The deck completely ignores competitors. While they mention 'dating apps' generally, they don't address how they will defend against Hinge (which also uses mutual friends) or niche players like Luma or Raya. Investors need to know why a user wouldn't just use a 'mutual friends' filter on an existing app.

2. Monetization Plan: There is zero mention of how Cerca will make money. While 'growth first, revenue later' is common in consumer tech, a seed deck should at least hint at the business model (e.g., premium subscriptions for more 'searches' or ticket sales for events).

3. Long-term Retention Data: While the match conversion rate is 30% (Slide 6), there is no data on Day-30 or Day-90 retention. In dating, high match rates are good, but if users leave the app once they find a partner (or if they don't find one quickly), the LTV (Lifetime Value) is low.

Founder's Playbook: What to Copy

Quantify the 'Why Now': Cerca doesn't just say dating is hard; they use Slide 4 to provide specific percentages that explain the current market failure. Founders should always back up their 'Problem' slide with third-party or proprietary data that proves the market is shifting.

Focus on a 'Wedge': Cerca isn't trying to launch to everyone at once. Their event list on Slide 7 shows a clear 'wedge' strategy—targeting high-density, high-status college campuses. This is a classic and effective way to build the initial liquidity needed for a marketplace or social network.

Highlight 'Founder-Market Fit': Even though the founders are students, they lean into it. They don't hide their age; they use it to show they are in the trenches with their users. If you are building for a specific demographic you belong to, make that your primary credential.