InvestAcure PBC Pitch Deck Teardown: A Micro-Investment

InvestAcure PBC: The Micro-Investment Pitch for Alzheimer's

InvestAcure PBC presents a pitch deck that sits at the intersection of fintech and biotech. Rather than pitching a new drug, they are pitching a new way to fund drugs. The deck focuses on the massive societal cost of Alzheimer's and proposes a platform that allows the general public to invest 'spare change' into the search for a cure. As a Public Benefit Corporation (PBC), the company emphasizes social impact alongside financial return.

Slide 1: Title and Contact

The cover slide introduces the company name, InvestAcure, with the tagline "Investing for a cure." It provides direct contact information for Max Tokarsky, Founder & CEO, including a phone number and email address. The visual design is clean, featuring a professional in a white-out background, establishing a corporate yet accessible tone.

Slide 4: The Problem - The Fatal Cost of Alzheimer's

This slide establishes the urgency of the mission. It notes that Alzheimer's is the only top 10 cause of death with no treatment to cure or slow the disease, calling it "100% fatal." The economic data is striking: in 2018, the cost to the nation was $277 billion, with a projection of $1.1 trillion by 2050. Crucially, it identifies the target demographic: the 26% of US adults who have a relative with the disease, suggesting a massive, emotionally invested user base.

Slide 7: The Solution - The InvestAcure Platform

Slide 7 breaks down the product into three pillars. First is the "Automated spare change investment platform," which shows mobile screenshots of account summaries and transaction round-ups (e.g., $0.51 from Starbucks). Second is a "Community support network" for news and forums. Third is "Guidance of leading scientists & experts," showing a list of clinical trials like NTRP - Bryostatin 1. The value proposition for the user is clear: own stock, advance progress, and share in profits.

Slide 10: Expert Validation

To counter skepticism about a 'spare change' approach to multi-billion dollar drug development, Slide 10 provides testimonials from three experts. George Perry, Ph.D. (Dean at UT San Antonio), notes the "roadblock imposed by insufficient capital." Julie A. Fleming (Founder of Purple Sherpa) advocates for transitioning ownership to millions of small investors. Hugo Geerts, Ph.D. (formerly of J&J), highlights that while progress is made in lab mice, clinical research lacks funding.

Slide 13: Management Team

The management team is presented with detailed biographies. Yuri Yushkov (CTO) brings 25 years of experience in building core banking and wealth management systems for companies like IBM and Microsoft. Chanan Kaufman (EVP of Development) has 35 years in entrepreneurship and organizational leadership. Lawrence Pine (COO) and Grace Mutavu (Director of Corporate Communication) round out the leadership, offering a mix of technical, operational, and communication expertise.

Slide 16: Business Advisory Board

The deck leverages a strong advisory board to build credibility. Members include Heidi V. Pickett (MIT Sloan Master of Finance), Peter McCrea (President of Cavendish Impact Foundation and former VP at American Endowment Foundation), and Beau Mann (Founder of Sober Grid). The presence of experts in venture philanthropy and impact investment suggests the company is serious about the regulatory and financial complexities of their model.

Slide 19: The Business Model

The revenue model is straightforward: a SaaS-style fee for the investment platform and a TBD fee structure for the BDC. For the platform, they charge $2 per month for accounts under $5,000 and a 1% annual fee for accounts over $5,000. The slide also introduces the plan to set up a publicly traded Business Development Corporation (BDC), which is the mechanism that allows non-accredited investors to participate in private biotech funding.

Slide 22: Intellectual Property

InvestAcure highlights its defensive moat with a patent-pending status. The patent, filed February 6, 2019, by Eversheds Sutherland, is for "Systems and Methods for Improving Social Impact Investment Platforms." The summary states the system tracks both individual financial metrics and collective non-financial impact metrics for an entire community, which aligns with their PBC status.

Slide 25: The Ask and Valuation

The final slide in this selection outlines the investment opportunity. The company is seeking a $3 million Seed Round at a $10 million pre-money valuation. The use of funds is clearly delineated: 48% for Marketing, 32% for Gen/Admin, 15% for Product, and 5% for Other. The goal is to complete the platform within 6-8 months and achieve traction through a full-scale marketing campaign. Interestingly, they also offer an alternative for support via a 501c3 foundation donation.

What Works in This Deck

Strong Emotional and Economic Hook: By leading with the $1.1 trillion cost of Alzheimer's and the fact that 26% of adults have a personal connection to the disease, the deck creates a compelling 'why now' and 'why this' narrative. Clear Product Visualization: Slide 7 does an excellent job of showing exactly how the app looks and functions, making a complex financial concept (micro-investing in biotech) feel tangible. Regulatory Strategy: Mentioning the BDC structure on Slide 19 shows that the founders have considered the legal hurdles of allowing non-accredited investors to fund private clinical trials, which is a common point of failure for similar 'democratized' investment ideas.

What Is Missing

Unit Economics: While the fee structure is listed ($2/month or 1%), there is no analysis of Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) versus Lifetime Value (LTV). Given that 48% of the seed round is earmarked for marketing, investors would want to see how many users are needed to reach break-even. The BDC Fee Structure: Slide 19 lists the BDC fee as "TBD." Since this is a core part of the long-term revenue and investment engine, leaving it as 'To Be Determined' creates a significant gap in the business model. Competitive Landscape: The deck does not address other micro-investment platforms (like Acorns or Stash) or other biotech crowdfunding platforms. Explaining why a user would choose InvestAcure over a general investment app is a missed opportunity.

Founder Takeaways

Leverage Expert Social Proof: If you are building a platform in a highly technical or regulated space (like biotech or finance), follow InvestAcure's lead on Slide 10. Using quotes from industry veterans can bridge the gap between a 'big idea' and a 'viable business.' Be Specific About IP: Don't just say you have a patent. Slide 22 includes the filing date, the law firm, and the specific title of the patent. This level of detail builds trust during the due diligence process. Align Use of Funds with Goals: The allocation on Slide 25 (48% to marketing) aligns with their stated goal of achieving user traction. Founders should always ensure their pie chart matches their stated 'next steps' list.