Quarantyne Pitch Deck Teardown: A Lean Pre-Seed Approach

Quarantyne Pitch Deck Analysis

Quarantyne’s pre-seed deck is a highly functional, no-frills presentation. It consists of 9 slides that follow a traditional narrative arc: team, problem, solution, product, mechanics, competition, business model, and the ask. The deck is dated by its screenshots, which show timestamps from August 2018, suggesting this was a snapshot of the company's early fundraising efforts during that period.

Slide 1: Title Slide

The deck opens with a clean logo—a red and white shield—and the company name. The subtitle, "API for Intellectual Property and Data Protection," immediately establishes the company as a developer-focused security tool. There are no distracting graphics or vague taglines; the value proposition is technical and direct.

Slide 2: Our Team

The team slide features two founders: Edouard Swiac (Engineering/Product) and Eric Fung (Sales/Ops). The slide effectively uses logos and names of reputable tech companies like Twitter, Oracle, and Hotwire to build immediate credibility. By placing the team slide second, the founders are betting that their professional pedigree is their strongest asset in securing a pre-seed round.

Slide 3: The Problem

The problem is defined as the vulnerability of public data to "automated web traffic." The slide lists five specific pain points: content scraping, form spam, account takeovers, altered analytics, and skewed ad measurements. A footnote links to an Atlantic article, providing external validation for the scale of the bot problem. The imagery is a generic "code rain" background, which is a bit cliché but stays on-theme for a cybersecurity pitch.

Slide 4: The Solution

The solution is described as a "powerful, real-time HTTP traffic classifier." The slide emphasizes three components: statistical analysis of browsing behavior, a JSON over HTTPS REST API, and a web dashboard for reporting. This slide is critical because it moves the conversation from a vague security concept to a specific technical implementation.

Slide 5: Our Product

This slide provides two screenshots of the Quarantyne dashboard. The images show a "Bot Identification" page and a "Recent threats" log. The data in the screenshots (dated August 2018) includes specific threat classes like "HDR" and "UA" and paths like "/wiki/California." These visuals prove that a functional prototype exists and isn't just a conceptual mockup.

Slide 6: How it Works

The founders use a simple three-step diagram to explain the user journey. Step 1 is the integration of a free passive API. Step 2 is the identification and reporting of abuse. Step 3 is the upgrade to a paid active API for blocking. This slide is effective because it clearly illustrates the "land and expand" strategy inherent in their freemium model.

Slide 7: Competition & Advantages

Quarantyne lists five major players in the bot detection space: Distil Networks, Kasada, PerimeterX, Imperva, and ShieldSquare. They critique these competitors for being tailored only to large enterprises, requiring complex integrations, and lacking price transparency. Quarantyne’s stated advantages include a monthly SaaS model, a simple API, and a unique plan to open-source their core classifier to build trust and market share.

Slide 8: Business Model

The business model slide is exceptionally clear. It names the two tiers: "Spyglass" (Free) and "Bulwark" (Paid). The paid tier is priced at "$50 monthly, per 500k API Calls." Providing a specific price point in a pre-seed deck is bold and helps investors understand the target customer (likely SMBs or mid-market developers rather than the enterprise giants targeted by their competitors).

Slide 9: Progress and Next Steps

The final slide states that the prototype is developed and in testing. The ask is "Raising 250k" to achieve product-market fit, customer acquisition, and marketing. They also provide a timeline, stating a plan to raise a further round after 8-10 months. This gives investors a clear view of the runway and the milestones the founders intend to hit with the capital.

What Works in This Deck

Clarity of Purpose: Within three slides, the reader knows exactly what Quarantyne does and who it is for. · Transparent Pricing: Including a $50/month price point removes the mystery of the business model and highlights their differentiation from high-touch enterprise competitors. · Technical Credibility: The team’s background at Twitter and Oracle, combined with functional product screenshots, suggests they have the skills to build what they are pitching. · Logical Flow: The deck follows a standard sequence that investors are accustomed to, making it easy to digest in under two minutes.

What Is Missing

Market Sizing: There is no mention of the Total Addressable Market (TAM). While the problem is clearly stated, the deck doesn't quantify how many companies face this issue or how large the bot detection market is. · Traction Metrics: While the prototype is "in testing," there are no details on beta users, waitlists, or early feedback. Even in a pre-seed deck, some evidence of market pull is beneficial. · Financial Projections: The deck lacks a basic revenue forecast. While early-stage projections are often speculative, they help investors understand the founders' ambitions for scale. · Go-to-Market Strategy: Beyond "marketing efforts," there is no specific plan for how they will acquire their first 100 paying customers.

Founder Takeaways

Founders should emulate the simplicity of Quarantyne's "How it Works" slide. Breaking a complex technical product into three digestible steps is a masterclass in communication. Additionally, the competitive positioning on Slide 7 is excellent; instead of just listing features, they identify the structural weaknesses of incumbents (lack of price transparency, complex integration) and position their product as the antidote. However, founders should ensure they include at least one slide on market size to demonstrate that the $250k investment has the potential to grow into a venture-scale return.