The Instructure investor deck from May 2017 serves as a post-IPO or late-stage growth update, emphasizing the company's transition from a single-product LMS (Canvas) to a multi-market platform. The presentation excels at demonstrating financial maturity, specifically through the use of 'deferred revenue' and 'backlog' metrics to prove long-term stability. With a reported backlog of $213 million by the end of 2016, the company successfully argues that its growth is not just speculative but contracted. While the deck uses unconventional, humorous team photography to signal a unique culture, the…
Key takeaways
- The deck identifies a total addressable market growing to $7.8 billion in Learning Management and $6.4 billion in adjacent HR tech by 2018 (Slide 7).
- Instructure demonstrates a clear chronological expansion strategy, moving from Higher Ed in 2011 to K-12 in 2012, International in 2014, and Corporate (Bridge) in 2015 (Slide 10).
- Financial visibility is a core theme, with deferred revenue growing from $32M in 2014 to $76M in 2016 (Slide 16).
- The company reports a massive non-cancellable backlog of $213 million as of December 31, 2016 (Slide 16).
- Net Revenue Retention is explicitly stated as being 'Greater than 100%' (Slide 22).
- Quarterly revenue grew from $14.6 million in Q1 2015 to $34.0 million in Q1 2017, representing a 46% YoY growth rate (Slide 25).
- Gross margins improved and stabilized at 72% by Q1 2017, up from 67% in early 2015 (Slide 25).
- The deck lacks a specific 'Ask' slide or use of funds, suggesting it was intended for public market investors or a general corporate update rather than a primary capital raise (Slide 28).
Executive Summary: The Maturity of EdTech
The Instructure investor deck from May 2017 is a high-fidelity look at a SaaS company in its scaling phase. Unlike early-stage decks that rely on vision and hypothetical problem-solving, this presentation is built on the bedrock of realized growth and contracted future earnings. The narrative arc moves from market opportunity to product expansion, culminating in a deep dive into non-GAAP financials that demonstrate a clear path toward operating leverage.
Slide 1-4: Branding and Product Introduction
Slide 1 is a minimalist title slide featuring the company name against a backdrop of overlapping colorful circles, establishing a modern, design-forward brand identity. Slide 4 is a placeholder for a Product Overview Video . In a live presentation, this serves as a crucial transition from brand to utility. For a remote reader, however, this represents a significant information gap, as the deck assumes the viewer is already familiar with the core functionality of the Canvas platform.
Slide 7: Quantifying the Market Opportunity
Slide 7, titled Substantial Market Opportunity , uses a bubble chart to visualize the growth of their primary and adjacent markets. The deck cites two distinct opportunities: Learning Management (projected at $7.8 billion by 2018) and a collection of HR-tech adjacencies including Performance Management, Workforce Management, Recruiting, and Compensation Management (projected at $6.4 billion by 2018). By citing IDC and MarketsandMarkets research from 2013 and 2015, the company provides a third-party validation for their expansion into corporate sectors via their 'Bridge' product.
Slide 10: The Expansion Roadmap
One of the most effective slides in the deck is Slide 10, Growth Strategy Offers Continued Revenue Streams . It uses a stepped bar chart to show how the company has layered new markets over time. It starts with Canvas Higher Ed in 2011, adds Canvas K-12 in 2012, Canvas International in 2014, and Bridge (corporate) in 2015. This visualization effectively communicates that Instructure is not just a one-trick pony but a platform capable of horizontal and vertical expansion. It justifies the 'Expanded TAM' mentioned in the sub-headline.
Slide 13: The 'Innovative' Management Team
Slide 13 is a notable departure from corporate norms. Titled Innovative Management , it features headshots of eight executives, including CEO Josh Coates and CFO Steve Kaminsky. However, the photos are deliberately quirky: the CEO is wearing steampunk goggles and holding a blowtorch, while others are shown with Mickey Mouse ears or covered in white powder. While the imagery is playful, the text provides the 'heft,' listing prior experience at EMC Corp, Mozy, GE, and Microsoft . This slide attempts to balance a 'disruptor' culture with 'blue-chip' experience.
Slide 16: The Power of Predictability
Slide 16 is arguably the most important slide for a serious investor. Titled Enhanced Visibility Into Future Periods , it breaks down Deferred Revenue and Backlog from 2014 to 2016. The growth is staggering: Deferred Revenue climbed from $32M to $76M, while the Backlog (defined as future non-cancellable amounts to be invoiced) grew from $113M to $213M. This slide is designed to prove that the company's future growth is already 'in the bag,' which is a powerful de-risking mechanism for investors.
Slide 19: Unit Economics and LTV
Slide 19, High Customer Lifetime Value , is a conceptual graph showing the relationship between Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC) and Revenue over time. It illustrates the 'Breakeven' point and the long tail of 'Customer Lifetime Value.' While it lacks specific dollar amounts on the Y-axis, it reinforces the SaaS narrative: high upfront costs to Acquire , followed by the high-margin phases of Retain and Renew . The dashed line extending into the future signifies the compounding nature of their subscription model.
Slide 22: Investment Highlights
Slide 22 serves as a summary of the company's value proposition. It lists six key pillars: Rapid and Widespread Customer Adoption, Substantial Market Opportunity, Native Cloud-Based Platform, Focused on User-Experience, Solid Revenue Growth, and Enhanced Visibility . Critically, it includes a footer note stating Net Revenue Retention Greater than 100% . For SaaS investors, this is a 'holy grail' metric, indicating that even without new customers, the company would continue to grow through expansions within its existing base.
Slide 25: The Non-GAAP Income Statement
Slide 25 provides a granular look at the financials from Q1 2015 through Q1 2017. Key data points include:
Revenue Growth: Increased from $14.6M (Q1'15) to $34.0M (Q1'17). · Gross Margin: Improved from 67% to 72%. · Operating Efficiency: Sales and Marketing (S&M) dropped from 75% of revenue to 53% of revenue over the same period. · Net Loss: While still negative at ($9.4M) in Q1'17, the loss as a percentage of revenue improved from (65%) to (28%).
This slide demonstrates the 'J-curve' of a scaling SaaS company, where revenue growth outpaces expense growth, leading toward eventual profitability.
Slide 28: Cash Flow Reconciliation
The final slide in the provided set is a Free Cash Flow Reconciliation . It shows the volatility of cash flow in a contract-heavy business. For example, Q3'15 and Q3'16 show positive free cash flow ($18.4M and $20.1M respectively), likely due to the timing of annual educational contract renewals, while other quarters remain deeply negative. This transparency is vital for investors to understand the seasonal liquidity needs of an EdTech business.
What Works in This Deck
1. Metric Transparency: The inclusion of a full income statement and cash flow reconciliation (Slides 25 and 28) is rare in pitch decks and signals a high level of financial maturity and transparency.
2. Future Visibility: By highlighting the $213M backlog (Slide 16), Instructure moves the conversation away from 'what might happen' to 'what is already contracted to happen.'
3. Logical Expansion: The roadmap on Slide 10 is a perfect example of how to show a company's evolution. It explains the past to justify the future expansion into corporate markets.
What Is Missing
1. Competitive Landscape: The deck completely ignores competitors like Blackboard, Moodle, or D2L. While Instructure may have felt they were the clear leader by 2017, investors always want to see a direct comparison of features or market share.
2. The 'Ask': There is no slide detailing how much capital is being raised or how it will be spent. This suggests the deck was used for an earnings call or a general investor update rather than a specific funding round.
3. Product Specifics: Beyond the video placeholder, there are no screenshots or feature lists. The deck assumes the audience knows why Canvas is better than the competition, which is a risky assumption if pitching to new, non-EdTech-specialist investors.
Founder Takeaways
Focus on 'Visibility' Metrics: If you are a SaaS founder with long-term contracts, don't just report MRR. Report your backlog and deferred revenue. It proves your business has 'staying power' and makes your future revenue look inevitable rather than aspirational.
Show the Efficiency Trend: Instructure was losing money, but they showed that S&M as a percentage of revenue was falling (Slide 25). If you aren't profitable yet, you must show that your margins are improving as you scale.
Use a 'Layered' Growth Story: Don't just say you will enter new markets. Show a chronological 'step' chart like Slide 10 to demonstrate that you have a history of successfully entering new segments. It builds credibility for your next big move.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary product mentioned in the Instructure deck?
- The primary product is Canvas, which the deck shows expanding across three distinct segments: Higher Education, K-12, and International markets. Additionally, the deck introduces 'Bridge' as their corporate-facing product for performance and workforce management, signaling a move beyond traditional academic environments into the broader $6.4 billion HR and corporate learning market.
- How does Instructure prove its business model is sustainable?
- Instructure uses two specific metrics: Deferred Revenue and Backlog. By Slide 16, they show $76M in deferred revenue and $213M in backlog. This 'enhanced visibility' proves to investors that a significant portion of future revenue is already under contract, reducing the perceived risk of their high operating losses ($9.4M in Q1 2017).
- Why does the team slide look so unprofessional?
- Slide 13, titled 'Innovative Management,' features executives in humorous costumes or messy situations (e.g., the CEO with a blowtorch, the COO with a milk mustache). This is a deliberate branding choice to contrast with 'stiff' legacy LMS competitors. It signals a culture of transparency and approachability, though the text below the photos highlights serious pedigrees from companies like EMC, Mozy, and GE.
- What do the financial statements reveal about their path to profitability?
- Slide 25 shows that while the company was still losing money ($9.4M net loss in Q1 2017), their efficiency was improving. Sales and Marketing (S&M) expenses dropped from 75% of revenue in Q1 2015 to 53% in Q1 2017. This downward trend in OPEX as a percentage of revenue suggests the company was successfully achieving economies of scale.
- What is missing from this deck that a typical startup deck would include?
- This deck omits a 'Problem' slide, a 'Solution' slide, and a 'Call to Action' or 'Ask.' Because Instructure was already a well-known entity in the EdTech space by 2017, the deck focuses almost entirely on growth metrics, market expansion, and financial reconciliation rather than explaining what an LMS is or how much money they need to raise.
