Limis Pitch Deck Teardown: Digitizing Industrial Logsheets

Executive Summary

Limis is a specialized software solution designed for the industrial manufacturing sector. The deck, dated July 7th, 2022, and presented by Evan Wasik, outlines a transition from manual, paper-based data logging to a digital-first approach. By providing real-time visibility into plant operations, Limis aims to mitigate the high costs associated with unplanned downtime. The deck is structured as a standard 10-slide pitch, focusing heavily on the problem-solution fit and early validation through the founder's professional network.

Slide 1: Title Slide

The title slide introduces the company name, Limis, and the tagline 'A Make Things Better Company.' It features industrial imagery—a shipping port and a chemical plant—establishing the sector focus immediately. The presenter is identified as Evan Wasik, and the date is July 7th, 2022. The branding uses a purple and pink color palette with geometric circular motifs.

Slide 2: The Problem

This slide defines the pain point: 'Unplanned Manufacturing Shutdowns.' It provides four key data points to establish urgency:

Cost to US Manufacturers: $50 Billion per year. · Profit Impact: Reduces profits by 11%. · Safety: Often accompanied by threats to life and health for employees and communities. · Avoidability: Stated as 'Frequently avoidable.'

The use of a high-contrast image of firefighters adds a sense of crisis to the industrial problem.

Slide 3: Value Proposition

Limis positions its software as the 'last line of defense' against downtime. The core function is replacing 'archaic paper logsheets' to increase visibility for operators and decision-makers. Crucially, this slide introduces the pricing: $40 per person per month. It frames this cost as a high-ROI investment, claiming it represents only 1% of downtime costs while aiming to reduce that downtime by 10% or more.

Slide 4: Product Workflow

This slide uses a flow diagram to explain the user experience. It starts with a 'Data Source' (a physical gauge), moves to 'Data Entry' via a QR code scan on a tablet, and results in two outputs: a 'Custom Dashboard' for real-time visualization and an 'Export to CSV' option for data portability. This visualizes the transition from physical reality to digital data.

Slide 5: Market Size

The market slide uses the standard TAM/SAM/SOM framework, though the definitions are tied to 'lost production value' rather than direct software spend:

TAM: $54B (6% of global lost production value). · SAM: $3B (6% of US lost production value). · SOM: $500M (25% of first 5 customers' lost production value).

The use of a flame icon is consistent with the 'firefighting' theme established earlier.

Slide 6: Go To Market

The strategy is straightforward: 'Start with companies you've worked for.' It displays logos for K2 Pure Solutions, Dow, and Ecolab. This suggests a founder-led sales approach leveraging existing industry relationships and credibility to bypass the long sales cycles typical of industrial enterprise software.

Slide 7: Traction

Limis demonstrates early momentum through four bullet points:

Independent meetings at Ecolab regarding the specific problem. · Agreement to test the product with K2 in the 'coming months.' · Semi-finalist status in the Northwest Entrepreneurship and Dempsey Startup Competitions. · A developing partnership with SWYFT ERP.

The slide includes a photo of a tire track in snow, a literal interpretation of 'traction.'

Slide 8: Assumptions

In a rare move for a pitch deck, Limis includes an 'Assumptions' slide. It lists what must be true for the business to succeed: the product must reduce downtime by 20% (expanding to 50% later), custom integrations must be scalable, tailored solutions must create switching costs, and the company must find the right talent. This slide functions as a transparent risk assessment.

Slide 9: The Ask(s)

The company is seeking two things: help finding a developer and $300,000 to 'add to our sales capability.' The monetary ask is relatively low for the industrial space, suggesting a seed or pre-seed stage aimed at proving the pilot programs mentioned in the traction slide.

Slide 10: Contact Information

The final slide provides a physical address in Kirkland, WA, a telephone number, and an email address (ewasik@limislog.com). It maintains the visual theme of the deck with a clipboard graphic.

What Limis Does Well

The deck is exceptionally clear about the financial impact of the problem. By citing the $50 billion cost to manufacturers and the 11% profit reduction on slide 2, the founders establish a 'must-have' rather than a 'nice-to-have' product. The pricing slide (Slide 3) is also a highlight; by anchoring the $40/month cost against the massive cost of downtime, they make the software appear inexpensive and the decision to purchase seem like a mathematical certainty.

Furthermore, the 'Assumptions' slide (Slide 8) demonstrates a level of founder maturity. Instead of hiding the risks of scalability and integration, they acknowledge them upfront. This builds trust with sophisticated investors who know that industrial software often struggles with 'pilot purgatory' and difficult on-site integrations.

What is Missing from the Deck

The most glaring omission is a dedicated Team Slide. While Evan Wasik is named on the title slide, there is no information regarding his background, technical expertise, or the rest of the founding team. In early-stage investing, the 'who' is often as important as the 'what.' The ask for help finding a developer on slide 9 suggests a lack of technical co-founder, which is a significant red flag for a software startup.

Additionally, there is no Competitor Slide. The industrial IoT and 'connected worker' space is crowded with players like Parsable, Dozuki, and Tulip. Failing to acknowledge the competitive landscape makes the founders look under-researched. Finally, the deck lacks a roadmap or financial projections beyond the initial $300,000 ask. Investors need to see how this small initial investment leads to the $500M SOM mentioned on slide 5.

Founder Takeaways

Leverage your network: The most compelling part of this deck is slide 6. If you have worked at major industry players like Dow or Ecolab, highlight that. It proves you understand the 'insider' problems and have the Rolodex to get the first meetings. For many B2B startups, the founder's network is the only viable initial go-to-market strategy.

Anchor your price: Don't just state your price; explain why it's a bargain. Limis does this perfectly by showing that their fee is a tiny fraction (1%) of the problem's cost. This framing shifts the conversation from 'how much does this cost?' to 'how much money are we losing by not having this?'

Be transparent about risks: Including an 'Assumptions' slide is a bold move that can pay off. It shows you are thinking like an operator, not just a promoter. It allows you to control the narrative around your weaknesses rather than letting an investor discover them during due diligence.