What stage of development is Switch currently in?

According to slide 6, Switch is at the end of the pre-clinical phase. They have previously received grants from the NIH. The purpose of the current $25M Series A round is to transition the company into the human clinical trial process, specifically aiming to start Phase 2.

How does the company justify its $25M Series A ask?

Slide 6 provides a benchmark table of other biotech companies and their Series A rounds, including Autolus Therapeutics ($30M), MolMed SpA ($58M), and Crispr Therapeutics ($25M). Switch uses these figures to position their $25M request as standard for the sector to fund clinical trials and corporate growth.

What is the intended exit strategy for investors?

The deck is unusually explicit about an M&A exit. Slide 5 focuses entirely on the 2017 acquisition of Kite Pharma by Gilead for $11.9 billion. Slide 7 further illustrates this by showing potential returns ($50M to $73M) based on acquisition valuations between $150M and $220M three years after investment.

Who are the key members of the Switch leadership team?

Slide 2 lists Mohamed Kaabouni (CEO), Soumiya Amellah (COO), Yasmine Benlounes (CTO), Diane Bugeaud (CSO), Alexandre Trichies (CFO), and Margot Naëgelé (Business Development). While titles are provided, the slide lacks biographical information, past company experience, or academic credentials.

Switch Pitch Deck: 16-Slide Breakdown

See all 16 slides of the Switch pitch deck — a Biotech deck — with a slide-by-slide teardown of what the deck does well and where it falls short.

Switch is a biotechnology company developing 'Switchable CAR-T Cell Innovation Therapy' to address serious adverse events associated with traditional CAR-T treatments, such as cytokine release syndrome and neurologic events. The deck, originating from an MS Biotech 2018-2019 program, targets hematological and solid tumor cancers. With a stated market context of 18.1 million new cancer cases annually and a global cost of $1.16 trillion, the company seeks a $25 million Series A round. The funding is intended to transition the company from the end of its pre-clinical phase into Phase 2 human cli…

Key takeaways

The company is developing switchable CAR-T cells to mitigate adverse events like cytokine release syndrome (Slide 3).
Switch is seeking a $25M Series A investment to move into human clinical trials (Slide 6).
The team includes six named members, though professional backgrounds and specific expertise are not detailed on the slide (Slide 2).
Market data cites 18.1 million new cancer cases worldwide and 9.6 million deaths in 2018 (Slide 4).
The deck explicitly targets a Merger and Acquisition exit, using Gilead's acquisition of Kite as a model (Slide 5).
Current status is defined as being at the end of the pre-clinical phase with prior funding from the NIH (Slide 6).
Proposed hiring includes a Head of Clinical, three Technicians, and a Head of IP (Slide 6).
The deck provides projected Internal Rate of Return (IRR) figures ranging from 26% to 43% based on potential acquisition values (Slide 7).

Executive Summary

The Switch pitch deck, produced for the MS Biotech 2018-2019 cycle, outlines a high-stakes play in the oncology sector. The company focuses on a 'switchable' CAR-T cell therapy designed to reduce the toxicity and side effects common in first-generation immunotherapy. The deck is structured as a traditional life-sciences pitch, moving from the clinical need to market size, and concluding with a specific financial ask and exit projections. While it provides a clear roadmap for the use of funds, it relies heavily on external benchmarks rather than proprietary data to prove its value proposition.

Slide 1: Title Slide

The cover slide introduces the company as 'Switch' and defines the product as 'Switchable CAR-T Cell Innovation Therapy.' It notes the context of 'MS Biotech 2018-2019' and lists six names: Soumiya Amellah, Yasmine Benlounes, Diane Bugeaud, Mohamed Kaabouni, Margot Naëgelé, and Alexandre Trichies. The imagery is standard clinical laboratory photography, establishing the biotech sector immediately.

Slide 2: Our Team

This slide introduces the organizational structure. The roles are defined as CEO (Mohamed Kaabouni), COO (Soumiya Amellah), CTO (Yasmine Benlounes), CSO (Diane Bugeaud), CFO (Alexandre Trichies), and Business Development (Margot Naëgelé). The slide uses headshots for most members but lacks any supporting text regarding their experience, education, or previous successes in the biotech or pharmaceutical industries. In a Series A pitch, the lack of founder pedigree is a significant omission.

Slide 3: Situation and Clinical Need

Slide 3 addresses the 'Why?' of the company. It identifies the limitations of current CAR-T therapies as 'serious adverse events.' Specifically, it lists cytokine release syndrome, neurologic events, and low blood cell counts (both red and white). The slide identifies the 'customer' as patients with hematological and solid tumor cancers. This slide successfully establishes the clinical pain point but does not explain the mechanism of how a 'switchable' therapy functions to prevent these events.

Slide 4: Market Size

The market slide uses a global map to present three macro statistics: 18.1 million new cancer cases per year worldwide, 9.6 million deaths due to cancer in 2018, and a total cost of cancer estimated at $1.16 trillion in 2010. While these numbers are large, they represent the total oncology market rather than the Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM) for CAR-T therapies or the specific subset of patients eligible for switchable cell therapy.

Slide 5: Exit Strategy

This slide is dedicated entirely to Merger and Acquisition (M&A). It uses the acquisition of Kite Pharma by Gilead in 2017 for $11.9 billion ($180.00 per share) as a case study. The slide includes a quote from John F. Milligan, PhD, Gilead’s then-CEO, regarding the path toward a potential cure. By highlighting that Kite was a private company in clinical phase 3 at the time of acquisition, Switch is signaling to investors that their goal is to be acquired by a 'Global Leader in Oncology' rather than reaching an IPO.

Slide 6: Investment Needed

This slide contains the core of the financial pitch. It states that Switch has been 'Granted from NIH since the corporation arised' and is currently at the 'end of the Pre-Clinical phase.' The company is seeking a $25M Series A round. To justify this, they provide a table of Series A rounds for competitors: Autolus Therapeutics ($30M), MolMed SpA ($58M), Crispr Therapeutics ($25M), Precision Biosciences ($25M), and TILT Biotherapeutics ($12M). The funds are earmarked for starting Phase 2 human clinical trials and hiring key personnel, including a Head of Clinical and a Head of IP.

Slide 7: The Offering and IRR

Slide 7 presents a hypothetical return on investment 'in the case of an Acquisition three years after entering Switch.' It maps out three scenarios based on acquisition prices: a $150M acquisition yielding a 26% IRR ($50M return), a $180M acquisition yielding a 34% IRR ($60M return), and a $220M acquisition yielding a 43% IRR ($73M return). This slide is highly speculative, as it assumes both the timing and the valuation of an exit before the company has even entered human trials.

Slide 8: Conclusion

The final slide is a standard 'Thank You' and 'Any questions?' slide featuring a scientist in a lab setting. It provides no contact information or call to action, which is a missed opportunity for a pitch deck intended for distribution.

What Works

Clear Problem Identification: The deck does a good job of identifying the specific side effects of CAR-T therapy that they intend to solve. This focuses the pitch on a specific clinical niche rather than a generic 'cure for cancer' message. · Direct Financial Ask: Slide 6 is very specific about the amount ($25M), the stage (Series A), and the intended use of funds (Phase 2 trials and specific hires). · Competitive Benchmarking: Including the Series A round sizes of other biotech firms helps ground the $25M ask in industry reality, making it seem reasonable to a life-sciences investor.

What is Missing

Proprietary Technology Details: The deck never explains how the 'switch' works. In biotech, the mechanism of action (MoA) is critical. There are no diagrams of the cell construct or explanation of the signaling pathways involved. · Pre-clinical Data: Since the company claims to be at the end of the pre-clinical phase, investors would expect to see data from in vitro or in vivo (animal) studies showing efficacy or reduced toxicity compared to standard CAR-T. No such data is present. · Team Pedigree: The team slide is exceptionally thin. In drug development, the scientific advisory board and the founders' previous clinical trial experience are often more important than the product itself at the early stages. · Intellectual Property Status: While they mention hiring a 'Head of IP,' they do not list any currently held or pending patents, which are the primary assets of a pre-clinical biotech company.

Founder Takeaways

Avoid Over-speculating on IRR: Slide 7 is risky. Calculating a specific IRR based on a hypothetical acquisition three years out can often alienate sophisticated investors who know how many variables (clinical trial failures, regulatory hurdles, market shifts) can disrupt that math. · Show, Don't Just Tell, the Market: Instead of showing the total global cost of cancer, founders should show the number of patients who specifically suffer from the 'adverse events' mentioned on Slide 3. That is the true market for a safety-focused innovation. · Prioritize the Science: For a $25M ask, a deck must include data. A biotech deck without a single chart showing cell lysis or cytokine levels is unlikely to move past an initial screening.

Frequently asked questions

What stage of development is Switch currently in?: According to slide 6, Switch is at the end of the pre-clinical phase. They have previously received grants from the NIH. The purpose of the current $25M Series A round is to transition the company into the human clinical trial process, specifically aiming to start Phase 2.
What specific medical problems is Switch trying to solve?: Slide 3 identifies the primary problem as the 'limitation of current CAR-T therapies,' specifically serious adverse events. These include cytokine release syndrome, neurologic events, low white blood cell counts, and low red blood cell counts. Their 'switchable' therapy aims to provide a safer alternative for patients with hematological and solid tumor cancers.
How does the company justify its $25M Series A ask?: Slide 6 provides a benchmark table of other biotech companies and their Series A rounds, including Autolus Therapeutics ($30M), MolMed SpA ($58M), and Crispr Therapeutics ($25M). Switch uses these figures to position their $25M request as standard for the sector to fund clinical trials and corporate growth.
What is the intended exit strategy for investors?: The deck is unusually explicit about an M&A exit. Slide 5 focuses entirely on the 2017 acquisition of Kite Pharma by Gilead for $11.9 billion. Slide 7 further illustrates this by showing potential returns ($50M to $73M) based on acquisition valuations between $150M and $220M three years after investment.
Who are the key members of the Switch leadership team?: Slide 2 lists Mohamed Kaabouni (CEO), Soumiya Amellah (COO), Yasmine Benlounes (CTO), Diane Bugeaud (CSO), Alexandre Trichies (CFO), and Margot Naëgelé (Business Development). While titles are provided, the slide lacks biographical information, past company experience, or academic credentials.

Cover slide of the Switch pitch deck — Switch pitch deck, slide 1

Switch pitch deck: the facts

Company: Switch
Slides: 16
Sector: Biotech

Switch pitch deck PDF

The full Switch deck is embedded on this page and can be read slide by slide in the browser — no download or account required. Each slide is covered in the breakdown above.

What the Switch Therapeutics pitch deck was used for

This deck appears to be an investor finance presentation by a biotech company branded as “SWITCH,” focused on limitations and safety issues of current CAR-T therapies such as cytokine release syndrome, neurologic events, and cytopenias, and positioning a novel approach to treating hematologic and solid tumor cancers. The OCR and excerpt indicate a $25M Series A raise to move from pre-clinical work into first-in-human clinical trials, but this specific $25M figure and CAR-T focus are not mentioned in any external funding announcement for Switch Therapeutics, which instead reports a separate $52M Series A round for RNAi therapeutics. Given the mismatch—CAR‑T safety switching in the deck versus RNAi CASi platform in public sources—this pitch deck is best treated as a CAR‑T-focused “Switch” deck whose precise corporate identity and round terms cannot be independently verified beyond the Slideshare page.

Business model: Preclinical-stage biotechnology company developing RNA interference (RNAi)-based therapeutics for diseases with high unmet need, using a proprietary ‘CASi’ (Conditionally Activated siRNA) platform.

Round: Series A.
Year: 2023.
Raised: $52M Series A financing for Switch Therapeutics.
Lead investor: Insight Partners and UCB Ventures (co-leads).
Investors: Insight Partners, UCB Ventures, Upfront Ventures, BOLD Capital Partners, Eli Lilly and Company, Ono Venture Investment, Digitalis Ventures, Dolby Family Ventures
Headquarters: South San Francisco, California, USA.
Industry: Biotechnology / RNA therapeutics.
Total funding: $52M Series A financing.

Use of funds as presented: To advance Switch Therapeutics’ CASi (Conditionally Activated siRNA) RNAi technology and build a pipeline of RNA interference-based therapeutics for diseases with high unmet need.

What the Switch Therapeutics deck got right

Clear articulation of a major unmet need in CAR‑T safety. The deck squarely focuses on widely recognized and clinically significant toxicities of current CAR‑T therapies—cytokine release syndrome, neurologic events, and cytopenias—which aligns with documented challenges in CAR‑T treatment and immediately frames a credible unmet need.
Broad clinical ambition across hematologic and solid tumor indications. Slide 5 identifies patients with hematologic and solid tumor cancers as the target population, indicating an ambition to extend CAR‑T into solid tumors while improving safety in blood cancers, consistent with broader field efforts to expand CAR‑T beyond its current hematologic focus.
Intuitive platform branding and problem framing. Branding the technology as "SWITCH" and organizing slides around the limitation of current CAR‑T makes the platform concept intuitive—investors can quickly infer a controllable or safety-switch mechanism designed to modulate CAR‑T activity in response to toxicity.
Explicit stage transition focus from preclinical to first-in-human. The deck is framed as a finance presentation with a specific Series A raise to move from preclinical into human trials, signaling a clear stage transition and giving investors a sense of where the program sits on the R&D continuum.
Strong emphasis on clinically meaningful patient impact. By emphasizing severe adverse events and patient impact early, the deck foregrounds clinical relevance and potential benefit to patients, which can resonate strongly with both specialist biotech investors and mission-driven funds.

What could have been stronger

No visible quantitative evidence of safety or efficacy improvement. Despite focusing on managing severe CAR‑T adverse events (cytokine release syndrome, neurologic events, and cytopenias), the deck OCR does not show any quantified safety or efficacy data (e.g., preclinical models, reduction in CRS incidence, or comparative benchmarks), making it hard for an investor to assess whether SWITCH materially improves upon existing safety-switch approaches.
Limited visibility into development and regulatory roadmap. The OCR suggests a $25M Series A ask to move from pre-clinical into human trials, but the deck text does not show any detailed development plan, timelines, or regulatory strategy within the available slide text, leaving uncertainty on how capital converts into defined milestones (IND filing, first patient dosed, dose-escalation, etc.).
Unclear commercialization and partnering strategy. The slide addressing customer need lists adverse events and patient types but does not specify the business model (e.g., in‑house therapy developer vs. platform licensing to established CAR‑T players), leaving investors unclear about how SWITCH intends to capture value in the CAR‑T ecosystem.
Team credentials and track record not evident from the deck text. The OCR text does not reveal information on founding team, clinical advisors, or prior CAR‑T development experience, an important gap for a high‑risk, preclinical oncology platform pitched for human trials.

How an investor would read this deck

What draws attention

Clarity on how the SWITCH technology mechanistically reduces or controls cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity relative to existing safety switches such as inducible caspase‑9 or drug-inducible systems.
Evidence that SWITCH can support both hematologic and solid tumor indications, since current CAR‑T therapies show limited efficacy in solid tumors and safety challenges in blood cancers.
Capital efficiency of the proposed $25M Series A (or any later amount), including specific preclinical and early clinical milestones achievable with that budget.
Differentiation from other "switchable" CAR‑T platforms and allogeneic switch-based systems described in the competitive landscape literature.

Risks that stand out

Clinical risk that SWITCH-enabled CAR‑T cells may not sufficiently reduce severe adverse events like cytokine release syndrome or neurotoxicity, which remain common and sometimes life‑threatening in current CAR‑T therapies.
Regulatory risk associated with moving a novel safety-modified CAR‑T platform from preclinical into human trials, including potential concerns about off‑target effects or incomplete abrogation of toxicity by the switch system.
Competitive risk from multiple other switchable CAR‑T and safety-switch technologies in development, including universal and allogeneic switch-based platforms, which may reach clinical proof-of-concept sooner or demonstrate better controllability.
Execution risk if the team lacks extensive prior experience in CAR‑T development, clinical trial operations in oncology, or partnering with large cell-therapy companies, especially given the capital-intensive nature of cell & gene therapy.

Questions this deck invites

What is the precise mechanism of action of the SWITCH platform in CAR‑T cells, and how does it compare against known genetic and pharmacologic safety switches (e.g., inducible caspase‑9, drug-inducible switches)?
What preclinical data (animal models, toxicology, pharmacodynamics) exist that demonstrate reduced cytokine release syndrome, neurotoxicity, or cytopenias when using SWITCH‑enabled CAR‑T cells versus standard CAR‑T?
Which specific hematologic and solid tumor indications are being targeted first, and what is the rationale and regulatory path to first‑in‑human trials for each?
Is SWITCH pursuing an in‑house therapeutic pipeline, a platform-licensing model to existing CAR‑T developers, or a hybrid strategy, and what are the expected partnership structures?
How does SWITCH’s intellectual property position compare to other switchable CAR‑T platforms and to Switch Therapeutics’ CASi RNAi IP, ensuring there is no overlap or confusion for future investors or acquirers?

What founders can take from the Switch Therapeutics deck

Decks for complex modalities like CAR‑T should tightly link the stated clinical problem (e.g., cytokine release syndrome and neurotoxicity) to a concise description of the proposed mechanistic solution, so investors can quickly understand how the platform addresses specific adverse events highlighte
When pitching a preclinical therapy aimed at moving into human trials, clearly mapping a requested amount (such as $25M) to discrete milestones (IND-enabling studies, regulatory submissions, first patient dosed) improves investor confidence in the plan’s feasibility.
Including quantitative or visual data that show the magnitude of improvement over current therapies (e.g., reduction in adverse event rates or tunable control over CAR‑T activity) greatly strengthens a deck focused on safety enhancements.
Early slides that describe “who is the customer” in terms of patient segments (hematologic vs solid tumor cancers) are useful but become more compelling when tied to specific initial indications, estimated addressable markets, and competitive therapies.
Clarity about business model (platform licensing vs proprietary pipeline) and ecosystem positioning is critical for CAR‑T safety-platform companies, which often depend on partnerships with established cell-therapy developers for commercialization.
Aligning the branding and scientific focus of the deck with what is publicly verifiable about the company (e.g., CAR‑T vs RNAi) helps avoid confusion for investors researching the opportunity after seeing the presentation.

Switch Therapeutics pitch deck: common questions

What does the company "Switch" do according to external sources versus this deck?

Public sources describe Switch Therapeutics as a preclinical-stage biotechnology company using RNA science and its proprietary CASi (Conditionally Activated siRNA) platform to develop RNA interference-based therapeutics for diseases with high unmet need. The deck text itself, however, focuses on CAR-T therapy safety issues (cytokine release syndrome, neurologic adverse events, and blood cell count abnormalities) and on treating hematologic and solid tumor cancers, indicating that the specific “SWITCH” deck you are analyzing is centered on CAR-T modulation rather than RNAi.

What fundraising round and amount does this deck appear to be associated with?

The Slideshare-hosted finance presentation is described in your excerpt as a biotech-focused deck that outlines a $25M Series A ask to move from pre-clinical work into human clinical trials in cancer, targeting limitations of current CAR-T therapies. No external press release or company filing found mentions a $25M Series A for a CAR‑T-focused Switch entity; the only verifiable round is a separate $52M Series A for Switch Therapeutics’ RNAi program.

What problem is this "SWITCH" deck trying to solve?

The OCR for slide 5 indicates the deck is addressing severe adverse events from current CAR-T therapies—specifically cytokine release syndrome, neurologic events, low white blood cell count, and low red blood cell count—and defines the target customers as patients with hematological and solid tumor cancers. The solution appears to be a ‘SWITCH’ technology or product that aims to reduce or manage these adverse events in CAR‑T therapy, although the exact mechanism is not legible from the OCR alone.

Who invested in Switch Therapeutics’ verifiable Series A round, and is it the same as the CAR-T deck round?

Externally, Switch Therapeutics reports a $52M Series A financing co-led by Insight Partners and UCB Ventures, with participation from Upfront Ventures, BOLD Capital Partners, Eli Lilly, Ono Venture Investment, Digitalis Ventures, Dolby Family Ventures, Free Flow Ventures, PhiFund Ventures and others. However, this RNAi-focused financing announcement does not mention CAR‑T, cytokine release syndrome, or the $25M Series A described in the deck excerpt, so it should not be assumed to be the same round as the one presented in the CAR‑T-focused "SWITCH" deck.

What is known externally about outcomes or clinical progress for "Switch" compared to what the deck implies?

Public sources confirm that Switch Therapeutics is still at a preclinical stage, advancing its CASi RNAi platform with proceeds from its $52M Series A financing. There are no externally verified clinical trial registrations, approvals, or outcomes specifically tied to a CAR‑T safety-switch product named "SWITCH" or to a $25M Series A CAR‑T round, so any clinical outcome claims for the CAR‑T deck must be treated as forward-looking statements at the time of the pitch rather than documented results.

Sources

Funding and outcome facts on this page were researched on 2026-08-22 from the pages below.

Switch pitch deck slides

Switch pitch deck slide 1 of 16 — Switch pitch deck — slide 1 of 16

Switch pitch deck slide 2 of 16 — Switch pitch deck — slide 2 of 16

Switch pitch deck slide 3 of 16 — Switch pitch deck — slide 3 of 16

Switch pitch deck slide 4 of 16 — Switch pitch deck — slide 4 of 16

Switch pitch deck slide 5 of 16 — Switch pitch deck — slide 5 of 16

Switch pitch deck slide 6 of 16 — Switch pitch deck — slide 6 of 16

What each slide of the Switch pitch deck says

Slide 1

= =" : 44 % " f ¥ pr 4 » 3 SWITCH INVESTOR PITCH 4 A SWITCHABLE CAR-T CELL INNOVATION THERAPY o> MS Biotech 2018-2019 i -~ Soumiya Amellah - Yasmine Benlounes - Diane Bugeaud - Mohamed Kaabouni - Margot Naégelé- Alexandre Trichies _—

Slide 3

Yasmine Alexandre Mohamed xan Kaabouni Benlounes Trichies rm - CEO cTo CFO = | .e) | » | = . Margot . Naégelé Soumiya | ? Amellah Diane Business coo Bugeaud development cso 3 SWITCH

Slide 5

Situation : What need are we addressing ? Why? SWITCH - Limitation of current CAR-T SWITCH is aiming to treat therapies: serious adverse cancer and, particularly, events hematological or solid tumor cancers Adverse events Who is the customer? - Cytokine release syndrome - Neurologic events - Low white blood cell count - Low red blood cell count Patients with hematological and solid tumor cancers Q SWITCH Swchabloavate T Col gy

Slide 6

Task : What is your competitive advantage? Safety Low High Efficacy on solid tumors | No Yes Standardized protocol No Yes Tunable No Yes Cost of therapy High Single vector design expected to 9 decrease end-cost - Enhance - Control the and antigen of CAR-T cells 3 SWITCH

Slide text above is read directly from the Switch deck PDF embedded on this page.

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