Nui Cookies (formerly Keto Kookie) produced a 10-slide deck in 2019 to secure $300k in seed funding. The deck is a classic example of a consumer packaged goods (CPG) pitch, leaning heavily on lifestyle branding, social proof, and the 'better-for-you' snack trend. By highlighting an obesity epidemic and the lack of tasty low-carb options, the founders positioned Nui as a high-growth alternative to traditional snack giants. While the deck succeeds in establishing a clear brand identity and demonstrating community traction with nearly 100k Instagram followers, it lacks granular financial data, u…
Key takeaways
- The deck identifies a specific market gap: 'Better for You' snacks that currently taste like protein bars or are full of sugar (Slide 2).
- Product differentiation is centered on ingredients like almond flour and monk fruit to achieve low net carb counts (Slide 4).
- The brand utilizes significant social proof, citing endorsements from SHAPE Magazine and Elite Daily (Slide 5).
- Community traction is a core metric, showcasing 99.3k Instagram followers and a mention of being featured on Shark Tank (Slide 6).
- The company's long-term vision is to become the 'Nabisco for low sugar, low carb indulgent snacks' (Slide 7).
- The team includes a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with experience at Kellogg’s, providing industry-specific credibility (Slide 8).
- Revenue projections are highly optimistic, forecasting a 10x growth from $5,000,000 in 2019E to $50,000,000 in 2021E (Slide 9).
- The deck omits a formal 'Ask' slide, failing to specify the exact amount being raised or the intended allocation of capital.
The Nui Cookies Teardown: Scaling Keto Indulgence
Nui Cookies entered the market at the height of the ketogenic diet craze. Originally known as Keto Kookie, the brand rebranded to Nui to broaden its appeal beyond a niche diet and into the general 'low-sugar' category. This 10-slide deck was used to raise $300,000 in 2019. It is a visually driven presentation that focuses on brand identity and the macro-trend of sugar reduction.
Slide 1: Title Slide
The deck opens with the tagline "FEED YOUR GREATNESS." and the names of the two founders, Kristoffer Quiaoit and Victor Macias. The branding is clean, using a teal and white color palette that suggests a modern, health-conscious retail brand. There is no mention of the specific product on this slide, relying instead on the logo and a lifestyle-oriented mission statement.
Slide 2: The Big Problem
Nui identifies three core pain points. First, the macro-issue: the growing obesity and diabetes epidemic. Second, the consumer struggle: sweet cravings making it difficult to reduce sugar and carbs. Third, the market gap: existing "Better for You" snacks either taste like chalky protein bars or are secretly loaded with starches. This slide effectively sets up the 'why' by highlighting a lack of palatable options in the health food aisle.
Slide 3: The Solution
The solution is presented simply: "Indulgent snacks that make it easy to stick to your goals." This slide is dominated by high-quality product photography showing four cookie variants: Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, Peanut Butter, and Snickerdoodle. The packaging is clearly visible, highlighting key callouts like "1g Sugar" and "Net Carbs." This is a standard but effective way to show that the product is ready for retail shelves.
Slide 4: Product Details
This slide dives into the 'how.' It lists the product attributes: Ultra Low Sugar, Keto Friendly, and made with Almond Flour and Monk Fruit. It also emphasizes the "Grab and Go" design. By mentioning specific ingredients like monk fruit, the deck appeals to the sophisticated health consumer who avoids artificial sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose. The image shows a multi-pack box, suggesting a retail-ready SKU (Stock Keeping Unit).
Slide 5: Press Validation
To build credibility, Nui includes quotes from SHAPE Magazine and Elite Daily. The SHAPE quote focuses on the use of monk fruit, while the Elite Daily quote emphasizes that the product tastes good enough for non-keto consumers. This is a crucial point for investors; a product that only appeals to a strict diet has a lower ceiling than one that can cross over into the mainstream snack market.
Slide 6: Community and Social Proof
This slide is perhaps the strongest in the deck for a 2019-era startup. It shows an Instagram profile with 99.3k followers. In the D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) world, a large, engaged following is a proxy for low customer acquisition costs (CAC) and high brand loyalty. The slide also includes a small text mention: "Featured on Shark Tank!" This is a massive piece of social proof that likely deserved more than a small line of text in a screenshot, as it implies national exposure and a level of vetting by high-profile investors.
Slide 7: The Vision
Nui states its goal: "to be the Nabisco for low sugar, low carb INDULGENT snacks." This is a bold 'X for Y' statement. By comparing themselves to Nabisco, they are signaling that they don't just want to be a cookie company; they want to be a platform brand with multiple product lines across the snack category. The slide shows six different cookie flavors, including Birthday Cake and Ginger Something, indicating product line extension potential.
Slide 8: The Team
The team slide features the two founders and Valerie Bui. Kristoffer Quiaoit is credited with Business Development and Brand, while Victor Macias handles Digital Marketing. The inclusion of Valerie Bui as a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with an MBA and experience at Kellogg’s is a strategic move. It adds 'grown-up' industry experience and scientific credibility to a team that otherwise looks like a pair of digital marketers. Her background at Dine Brands and Kellogg’s suggests she understands the complexities of large-scale food manufacturing and distribution.
Slide 9: Revenue Projections
The financial slide is a simple bar chart showing estimated revenue growth. The figures are: $5,000,000 in 2019E, $20,000,000 in 2020E, and $50,000,000 in 2021E. While these numbers are impressive, they are purely speculative (indicated by the 'E'). There is no historical data provided to show the baseline from which this growth is supposed to occur. For a $300k seed round, a $5M revenue run rate in the first year is exceptionally high, which might suggest these are 'target' numbers rather than guaranteed results.
Slide 10: Closing Slide
The final slide is a placeholder for the bestpitchdeck.com library and does not contain company-specific information. The actual deck ends abruptly after the revenue slide, which means it lacks a formal 'Ask' or 'Contact' slide in this version.
What Works in the Nui Cookies Deck
Strong Visual Identity: The deck looks like the product. The colors, fonts, and photography are consistent with a premium retail brand. This gives investors confidence that the founders understand branding and can compete on crowded store shelves.
Clear Market Positioning: They aren't just selling a cookie; they are selling a solution to the sugar epidemic. By positioning themselves against "protein bars that taste like chalk," they carve out a specific niche for "indulgent" health food.
Social Proof: The combination of a near-100k Instagram following and a Shark Tank appearance provides significant validation. It proves there is existing demand and that the founders know how to generate earned media.
What is Missing from the Nui Cookies Deck
Historical Financials: The deck only shows future estimates. Investors generally want to see past performance—monthly recurring revenue (MRR), year-over-year growth, or total units sold—to validate the 'Estimated' projections.
Unit Economics: In CPG, margins are everything. The deck does not mention the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), the wholesale price versus the retail price, or the customer acquisition cost (CAC). Without these, it is impossible to know if the $50M in projected revenue would actually be profitable.
The Ask: There is no slide detailing how much money is being raised, the valuation, or how the funds will be used. Will the $300k go toward inventory, marketing, or hiring? This is a critical omission for a fundraising document.
Distribution Strategy: While they mention "Grab and Go," they don't explain their retail strategy. Are they staying D2C, or are they targeting Whole Foods, Target, or convenience stores? A roadmap for physical distribution is essential for a brand aiming to be the "next Nabisco."
What Other Founders Should Copy
The 'Vision' Slide: Comparing yourself to an industry giant (Nabisco) while highlighting a specific differentiator (low sugar) is a great way to communicate scale and focus simultaneously.
Leveraging Expertise: If you are a founder without deep industry roots, hiring or partnering with someone like Valerie Bui (a dietitian with big-brand experience) and featuring them prominently on the team slide is a smart way to de-risk the investment.
Focus on 'Why Now': Slide 2 does a great job of connecting a personal product (cookies) to a massive global trend (the obesity epidemic). Founders should always try to anchor their product in a larger, undeniable market shift.
Frequently asked questions
- How much did Nui Cookies raise with this deck?
- According to the catalogue facts, Nui Cookies raised $300,000 in a Seed round in 2019. The deck itself does not explicitly state the funding goal or the terms of the round, which is a common omission in decks shared publicly after the fact.
- What is the primary value proposition of Nui Cookies?
- The value proposition is 'indulgent snacks that make it easy to stick to your goals' (Slide 3). Specifically, they offer cookies that are ultra-low sugar, keto-friendly, and made with almond flour and monk fruit, aiming to solve the problem of 'sweet cravings' without the high carb count of traditional snacks.
- Who are the founders and what is their background?
- The founders are Kristoffer Quiaoit (CEO) and Victor Macias (President). Quiaoit has a background in business development and tutoring, while Macias has experience in digital marketing and SEO. They are supported by Valerie Bui, a Registered Dietitian with an MBA and experience at Kellogg's (Slide 8).
- What traction does the deck show?
- The deck highlights social traction rather than historical sales. It shows an Instagram account with 99.3k followers and mentions a feature on Shark Tank (Slide 6). It also includes press quotes from SHAPE Magazine and Elite Daily to validate the product's taste and market appeal (Slide 5).
- What are the projected revenues for Nui Cookies?
- Slide 9 presents a bar chart with estimated revenues: $5,000,000 for 2019, $20,000,000 for 2020, and $50,000,000 for 2021. These figures are labeled as 'E' (Estimated) and represent a very aggressive growth trajectory for a seed-stage CPG company.
