How much did Pacifica Labs raise with this deck?

According to the catalogue listing, Pacifica Labs raised $53,800 in 2015 during its Seed stage. This is a relatively small amount for a seed round, suggesting this deck might have been used for an angel bridge or a specific accelerator application rather than a large institutional round.

What is the primary growth metric shown in the deck?

The primary metric is user acquisition. Slide 2 shows a steep growth curve starting in January 2015 and reaching 375,000 users by September 2015. This emphasizes the viral or organic demand for the product in the mental health sector.

Who are the founders and what is their background?

The founders are Dale Beermann (CEO) and Chris Goettel (Designer). Both are listed on Slide 8 as having previously worked at StudyBlue, where Beermann was a multi-time founder and CTO, and Goettel was the lead designer.

Does the deck explain how the app works?

Only superficially. Slide 6 shows a single mobile interface with buttons for 'Relax' and 'Mood' tracking, while Slide 7 mentions 'Peer Support.' The catalogue description clarifies it is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), but the slides themselves focus more on the 'feeling' of the brand.

What is missing from this pitch deck?

The deck is missing several standard components: a business model (how they make money beyond the mentioned MRR), a competitive analysis, a clear 'Ask' (how much they are raising), and a roadmap for future features.

Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) Pitch Deck: 9-Slide Seed Deck

See all 9 slides of the Pacifica Labs pitch deck — a 2015 Seed deck — with a slide-by-slide teardown of what the deck does well and where it falls short.

Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) raised $53,800 in 2015 using a minimalist 9-slide deck that prioritized user growth and market need over traditional business metrics. The deck reports reaching 375,000 users within nine months of launch, supported by $8,000 in Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR). By framing the problem as a massive gap in professional mental health care—where only 1 in 3 of the 40 million U.S. adults with anxiety receive help—Pacifica positioned itself as a 'self-service' solution. While the deck lacks a formal 'Ask' slide, detailed unit economics, or a competitive landscape analysis…

Key takeaways

The company achieved a user base of 375,000 within nine months, growing from near zero in January 2015 to the peak in September 2015 (Slide 2).
Revenue at the time of the deck was $8,000 MRR with $40,000 in total revenue generated to date (Slide 2).
The market opportunity is defined by 40 million adults in the U.S. suffering from anxiety disorders (Slide 3).
A significant care gap is highlighted: only 1 in 3 individuals with anxiety receive professional help (Slide 4).
The product is positioned for the 'Self-Service Generation,' implying a shift in how mental health care is consumed (Slide 5).
The core team consists of two co-founders with previous experience at StudyBlue (Slide 8).
Clinical credibility is established through two advisors with Ph.D. and Psy.D. credentials from VA Palo Alto and CBT specialties (Slide 8).
The deck concludes with validation through upcoming clinical trials at the University of Minnesota and UCSF (Slide 9).

The 9-Slide Minimalist Approach to Digital Health

Pacifica Labs, which later rebranded to Sanvello and was acquired by UnitedHealth Group’s Optum, provides a look back at how early-stage digital health companies pitched in 2015. The deck is remarkably brief, containing only nine slides. It relies on a high-contrast, image-heavy aesthetic that mirrors the 'calm' branding of the app itself. Rather than overwhelming investors with data, the founders chose to highlight a single, powerful growth curve and the massive underserved market for anxiety treatment.

The Hook and Immediate Traction

Slide 1: Title Slide The deck opens with the Pacifica logo and the tagline 'Live Happier Today.' The contact information points to an AngelList profile and a company email address. The background image of a person holding a sparkler sets a lifestyle-oriented, emotional tone rather than a clinical one.

Slide 2: Traction Unusually, Pacifica leads with traction immediately after the title slide. This is a strategic move often used when the growth numbers are the most compelling part of the story. The slide shows a line graph tracking user growth from January 2015 to September 2015. The company reached 375,000 users in this nine-month window. Below the graph, they disclose '$8K MRR / $40K total revenue.' This transparency shows that while the user base is large, monetization was still in its infancy at the time of the pitch.

Defining the Care Gap

Slide 3: The Market Size The deck shifts to the problem statement. Slide 3 is a simple text overlay on a rainy window: '40M adults in the U.S. have an anxiety disorder.' By using a large, bold font for '40M,' the founders establish the scale of the TAM (Total Addressable Market) without needing complex spreadsheets.

Slide 4: The Opportunity This slide identifies the specific inefficiency in the current healthcare market. It states, 'Only 1 in 3 will receive professional help.' The visual uses three icons, with two in red and one in green, to emphasize the 'missing' care. This frames Pacifica not just as a 'wellness app,' but as a necessary bridge for the 66% of sufferers who are currently unserved by the traditional medical system.

Product Identity and Social Features

Slide 5: The Self-Service Generation This slide serves as a transition into the solution. It uses the phrase 'The Self-Service Generation' to suggest a cultural shift. It implies that modern consumers prefer autonomous, digital tools over traditional, high-friction clinical appointments. This aligns the company with broader consumer trends seen in other industries like fintech or food delivery.

Slide 6: Product Interface A single smartphone mockup shows the app's UI. The screen displays a mood tracker ('I'm feeling... Good') and activity choices like 'Relax.' The design is clean and centered on a sunset background, reinforcing the brand's focus on tranquility. However, the slide lacks a feature list or a deep dive into the CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) methodology mentioned in the company's self-description.

Slide 7: Peer Support This slide features a photo of a group of people around a bonfire with the text 'PEER SUPPORT.' This indicates that the app includes a community or social component, which is a key driver for retention in mental health apps. It suggests that the platform is more than just a library of exercises; it is a social ecosystem.

Team and Clinical Validation

Slide 8: Team and Advisors The team slide is split between the two co-founders and two clinical advisors. Dale Beermann (CEO) and Chris Goettel (Designer) both highlight their history at StudyBlue, signaling a pre-existing working relationship and experience scaling a startup. The inclusion of Christine Moberg, Ph.D., and Ross Nelson, Psy.D., is critical for a health tech company. Their affiliations with the VA Palo Alto System and expertise in CBT provide the scientific 'permission to play' in a regulated space.

Slide 9: Upcoming Clinical Trials The final slide functions as the 'Validation' or 'Proof' slide. It displays the logos of the University of Minnesota and UCSF under the heading 'UPCOMING CLINICAL TRIALS.' For a seed-stage company, having two major research institutions willing to test the product is a significant de-risking factor for investors. It moves the product from 'lifestyle app' to 'evidence-based digital therapeutic.'

What Works in This Deck

Speed to Value: By putting the traction slide (Slide 2) at the very beginning, the founders immediately answer the question of product-market fit. Investors don't have to wait until the end of the deck to find out if anyone actually uses the app.

Emotional Resonance: The photography and color palette are consistent. The deck 'feels' like the product. This is often overlooked in technical pitches, but for a consumer-facing mental health app, the ability to design a soothing experience is a core competency.

Clinical Credibility: The combination of the advisor slide and the clinical trials slide (Slides 8 and 9) provides a necessary counterweight to the 'Self-Service' branding. It tells investors that while the app is easy to use, it is built on a foundation of legitimate science.

What Is Missing

The Business Model: While the deck mentions $8,000 MRR, it never explains how that revenue is generated. Is it a subscription? A one-time purchase? A B2B play for employers? This is a significant omission for any investor looking to understand the path to a $100M+ valuation.

The Ask: There is no slide stating how much money the company is raising or what they plan to do with the capital. While this information is sometimes kept for the verbal pitch, including a 'Use of Funds' slide is standard practice to show the founders have a plan for the next 18 months.

Competitive Landscape: In 2015, the mental health app space was already becoming crowded with players like Headspace and Calm. This deck does not address how Pacifica differs from meditation apps or other CBT-based tools.

What a Founder Should Copy

The Problem Framing: Slide 4 is a masterclass in identifying a market gap. Instead of just saying 'mental health is a big problem,' they quantify the specific percentage of people who are not getting help. This creates a clear 'Why Now' and 'Why Us' narrative.

Minimalist Design: Founders often clutter slides with too much text. Pacifica uses high-quality imagery and minimal text to ensure the investor stays focused on the key takeaway of each slide. Each slide has exactly one job.

Leveraging Advisors: If you are in a specialized field like healthcare, don't just list your advisors; list their specific credentials and how they contribute to the product (e.g., 'Content Consultant' or 'CBT Specialist'). This builds trust in the product's efficacy.

Final Thoughts

The Pacifica Labs deck is a 'traction-first' presentation. It assumes that if you show a vertical growth curve in a massive, underserved market, the technical details of the business model can be handled in the follow-up meeting. While risky, this approach worked to secure their initial funding and eventually led to a successful exit in the digital health space.

Frequently asked questions

How much did Pacifica Labs raise with this deck?: According to the catalogue listing, Pacifica Labs raised $53,800 in 2015 during its Seed stage. This is a relatively small amount for a seed round, suggesting this deck might have been used for an angel bridge or a specific accelerator application rather than a large institutional round.
What is the primary growth metric shown in the deck?: The primary metric is user acquisition. Slide 2 shows a steep growth curve starting in January 2015 and reaching 375,000 users by September 2015. This emphasizes the viral or organic demand for the product in the mental health sector.
Who are the founders and what is their background?: The founders are Dale Beermann (CEO) and Chris Goettel (Designer). Both are listed on Slide 8 as having previously worked at StudyBlue, where Beermann was a multi-time founder and CTO, and Goettel was the lead designer.
Does the deck explain how the app works?: Only superficially. Slide 6 shows a single mobile interface with buttons for 'Relax' and 'Mood' tracking, while Slide 7 mentions 'Peer Support.' The catalogue description clarifies it is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), but the slides themselves focus more on the 'feeling' of the brand.
What is missing from this pitch deck?: The deck is missing several standard components: a business model (how they make money beyond the mentioned MRR), a competitive analysis, a clear 'Ask' (how much they are raising), and a roadmap for future features.

Cover slide of the Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) pitch deck — Seed 2015 — Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) pitch deck, slide 1 (2015)

Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) pitch deck: the facts

Company: Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello)
Year: 2015
Stage: Seed
Slides: 9
Sector: Mental Health / Digital Health
Deck type: Seed Pitch Deck
Outcome: Raised $53,800 (later acquired by Optum/UnitedHealth)
Headquarters: San Francisco, CA

Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) pitch deck PDF

The full Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) 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 Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) pitch deck was used for

This deck is a 9‑slide seed‑stage presentation used by Pacifica Labs in 2015, when the company was building a mobile app for stress and anxiety management based on cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness. It appears to have been used around the time Pacifica was in Batch 14 of 500 Startups and raising a relatively small seed/angel amount, catalogued as $53,800, focused more on demonstrating user adoption and clinical credibility than on detailed financial projections. Subsequent larger seed financing in 2017, led by LEO Innovation Lab with HealthX Ventures and PHS Capital participating, was tied to expanding from a direct‑to‑consumer app into clinician‑support tools, but that later round is distinct from the 2015 deck. The company and product were later rebranded under Sanvello following a merger/acquisition completed in June 2019.

Business model: Mobile mental health application using mindfulness, mood tracking, self‑care tools and later coaching/therapy, delivered as a direct‑to‑consumer digital health product with expanding clinician-facing features.

Lead investor: For the 2017 seed round, LEO Innovation Lab, part of LEO Pharma, was the lead investor.
Investors: 500 Startups (accelerator, 2015)., LEO Innovation Lab (lead, 2017 seed)., HealthX Ventures (2017 seed)., PHS Capital (2017 seed).
Founded: 2014
Founders: Dale Beermann, Chris Goettel
Headquarters: San Francisco, California, United States.
Industry: Digital Health / Mental Health / Healthcare Technology Systems.

Round: Seed / very early‑stage seed‑angel, with 2015 financing preceding a larger institutional seed round in 2017.

Year: 2015 for the small seed/angel raise linked to this deck, followed by a larger seed round in 2017.

Raising: In 2015, Pacifica Labs was raising a relatively small seed/angel amount using this 9‑slide deck, likely to support continued product development and early growth while in the 500 Startups accelerator.

Raised: This specific 2015 seed‑stage deck is catalogued as associated with a $53,800 raise; later, Pacifica Labs raised a disclosed $150K accelerator/Incubator round in July 2015 and a $1.3M seed round in February 2017, totaling at least $1.45M by 2017.

Total funding: At least $1.45M raised across accelerator and seed financing by 2017, including a $150K accelerator/incubator round in July 2015 and a $1.3M seed round in February 2017.

Use of funds as presented: The company indicated that seed funding would be used to expand the mental health app beyond direct‑to‑consumer stress and anxiety management, adding resources for clinicians and deepening the CBT‑based behavioral healthcare offering; this plan is explicitly mentioned for the 2017 seed round.

What happened after the Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) deck

Pacifica Labs used early visual, traction‑focused pitch materials and accelerator participation to secure modest seed/angel funding in 2015, followed by a larger seed round in 2017 led by LEO Innovation Lab and other digital health investors; the company and app were later acquired and rebranded under Sanvello Health in 2019.

Pacifica Labs joined Batch 14 of the 500 Startups accelerator in 2015, gaining early validation and support for its stre
By February 2017, the company closed a seed round led by LEO Innovation Lab with participation from HealthX Ventures and
Pacifica Labs’ mental health app evolved into a broader behavioral health solution under the Sanvello brand following a

What the Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) deck got right

Clear, visually driven product story. The deck’s highly visual, minimalist format aligned with Pacifica Labs’ consumer mobile app focus, making it easy for investors to grasp the product and user experience quickly without wading through dense text.
Strong emphasis on traction and clinical credibility. Commentary on the deck emphasizes that it leaned heavily on rapid user acquisition and clinical credibility, which are key validation points for a digital mental health app and likely resonated with both traditional VCs and strategic health investors.
Credibility through accelerator participation. By 2015 the company had already secured a place in Batch 14 of 500 Startups, a fact that could be highlighted in the deck to signal external vetting, mentor access and a strong support network.
Compelling CBT‑ and mindfulness‑based clinical framework. The underlying product was rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness, later allowing the company to pitch a clear extension into clinician tools and more comprehensive behavioral healthcare, a narrative that investors in 2017 explicitly backed.
Demonstrated ability to convert the deck into real funding. The deck successfully supported at least one concrete raise—catalogued as $53,800 in 2015—and preceded further funding rounds totaling at least $1.45M, indicating that the early story and positioning helped unlock subsequent capital.
Experienced, mission‑driven founding team. Founders Dale Beermann and Chris Goettel had the technical and product experience to build and iterate the mobile app, and this team strength likely underpinned confidence conveyed in the 9‑slide deck despite its lack of detailed financials.

What could have been stronger

Limited financial detail and unit economics. The deck, as catalogued, prioritized visual storytelling and user growth, but available commentary indicates it contained little in the way of detailed financial modeling or unit economics, which could leave investors uncertain about revenue drivers, pricing strategy and long‑term sustainability.
Deck appears geared to small angel/bridge funding rather than institutional seed. The amount reportedly raised with this deck ($53,800) is unusually small for a seed round, suggesting that the materials may not have been optimized for, or compelling enough to secure, a larger institutional seed financing in 2015.
Unclear competitive landscape coverage. External descriptions emphasize rapid user acquisition and clinical credibility, but there is no clear indication that the 9‑slide deck rigorously addresses competitive positioning or differentiation versus other mental health apps emerging at that time.
Future product roadmap not fully articulated in the 2015 deck. Because the deck leaned heavily on visuals and traction, investors seeking clarity on product roadmap (such as expansion to clinician tools, coaching and therapy) would need supplemental information; those later strategic directions only appear in 2017 coverage, not clearly in the 2015 materials.

How an investor would read this deck

What draws attention

Evidence of early traction and user engagement for a stress and anxiety app using CBT and mindfulness, demonstrating product‑market fit in a growing digital mental health category.
Participation in 500 Startups Batch 14 in 2015, signaling vetting by a reputable accelerator and lending credibility to the team and product.
Clinical credibility and CBT‑based framework, which later allowed expansion toward clinician‑facing tools and more structured behavioral healthcare offerings.
The founders’ background and commitment to behavioral health solutions, including technical and product skills needed to build and iterate a mobile app.

Risks that stand out

Reliance on a very small initial seed/angel raise in 2015 could constrain experimentation, marketing and clinical validation, increasing execution risk before the larger 2017 seed round.
Highly competitive and rapidly evolving mental health app landscape, where user acquisition costs and differentiation challenges could erode the value of early traction emphasized in the deck.
Regulatory and clinical validation considerations for behavioral health solutions, which are not clearly detailed in the 2015 deck and could pose hurdles for payer or clinician adoption.
Dependence on subsequent financing rounds (such as the 2017 seed round) to move from a direct‑to‑consumer app toward more sustainable models, meaning that success of the strategy outlined in the 2015 deck was contingent on future capital.

Questions this deck invites

How many active users, retention metrics and engagement patterns did Pacifica Labs have at the time of the 2015 deck, and how did these metrics translate into a viable monetization strategy?
What pricing model and revenue streams (subscriptions, employer partnerships, clinician tools, coaching/therapy) were envisioned in 2015, prior to the 2017 seed expansion toward clinicians?
How did Pacifica Labs plan to differentiate from other mental health and mindfulness apps, including those offering CBT‑based tools, and what regulatory or clinical validation was pursued?
What were the specific milestones the company aimed to reach with the $53,800 raised via this deck (e.g., product development, clinical partnerships, key hires), and were those milestones achieved by the time of the 2017 seed round?
How did participation in 500 Startups and later seed investors such as LEO Innovation Lab, PHS Capital and HealthX Ventures influence the company’s go‑to‑market and eventual acquisition by Sanvello Health?

What founders can take from the Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) deck

A highly visual, concise deck can be effective for small seed or angel raises, especially when the company has strong early traction and clear clinical grounding, but may not be sufficient for larger institutional rounds that demand detailed financials.
Participating in a reputable accelerator like 500 Startups can serve as a key credibility signal in a pitch deck, reducing the need to over‑explain validation and allowing more focus on product and traction.
For digital health and mental health startups, emphasizing user growth and clinical credibility early can attract strategic investors (such as pharma‑linked innovation labs) that later support expansion into clinician tools and structured care pathways.
Separating small early raises (like the $53,800 associated with this deck) from later, larger seed financings shows that decks can be purpose‑built for specific capital needs, such as bridging to a major round or entering an accelerator.
Having a clear long‑term product roadmap—moving from a self‑help app to coaching, therapy and clinician integration—helps investors understand how an initially simple app can evolve into a broader behavioral health platform, even if early decks focus mainly on the first use case.
An eventual acquisition and rebranding (into Sanvello) demonstrates how early‑stage decks are part of a longer strategic arc; founders should think about how the story they tell in seed materials positions the company for future strategic partnerships or exits.

Pacifica Labs (now Sanvello) pitch deck: common questions

What did Pacifica Labs do at the time of this 2015 deck?

Pacifica Labs was an early digital mental health startup that built a mobile app using cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques to help users manage stress, anxiety and depression.

How much funding was raised using this specific 2015 Pacifica Labs deck?

The catalogue listing for this 2015 seed‑stage deck reports that Pacifica Labs raised $53,800 in 2015 using this minimalist 9‑slide presentation, likely from angels or accelerator‑related sources rather than a large institutional seed round.

Who invested in Pacifica Labs around the seed stage?

In 2015 Pacifica Labs participated in Batch 14 of the 500 Startups incubator program, and later, in February 2017, the company closed a seed round led by LEO Innovation Lab with HealthX Ventures and PHS Capital also investing.

Who founded Pacifica Labs and when?

Pacifica Labs was founded in 2014 by Dale Beermann and Chris Goettel, who aimed to create an effective behavioral healthcare solution through mindfulness skills and mood tracking tools in a mobile app.

What ultimately happened to Pacifica Labs after these seed rounds?

Pacifica Labs’ mental health app and business were eventually merged into Sanvello Health through an acquisition completed on June 19, 2019; after that transaction, the Pacifica product and team operated under the Sanvello brand.