Redakt CMS presents a highly technical pitch centered on a specific infrastructure shift: the move to .NET Core. By identifying a gap where legacy enterprise CMS providers had not yet migrated to the new framework, Redakt positions itself as a modern, cross-platform alternative. The deck is notable for its transparency regarding valuation, explicitly asking for €500,000 in exchange for a 10% stake. While the financial projections are aggressive—forecasting a jump from near-zero to over €5 million in revenue within three years—the deck relies heavily on the 'first-mover' advantage within a spe…
Key takeaways
- The company claims to be the first in its class built from the ground up for .NET Core on slide 3.
- Redakt explicitly asks for €500,000 in exchange for a 10% stake, implying a €5 million post-money valuation on slide 7.
- The revenue model is based on user-based product license fees scheduled to begin in Q2 2019 according to slide 6.
- Financial projections assume a consistent monthly growth rate of 12% throughout the first few years as stated on slide 6.
- The competitive analysis highlights that major rivals like Sitecore and Episerver were acquired for $1.1 billion each, establishing a high-value exit ceiling on slide 5.
- The use of funds is heavily weighted toward human capital, with 50% allocated to salaries and freelancers on slide 7.
- The project timeline shows a long development cycle, starting in April 2016 with a public beta not arriving until December 2018 on slide 8.
- The core team consists of four members, led by Jasper van der Sterren as Managing Director and Technical Architect on slide 2.
Slide-by-Slide Analysis
Slide 1: Title Slide
The deck opens with a clean, minimalist title slide featuring the Redakt logo. The branding uses a bold sans-serif font with a blue accent line over the 'e'. Jasper van der Sterren is identified as the Founder. There is no tagline or high-level value proposition on this slide, which is a missed opportunity to immediately frame the company's sector.
Slide 2: Core Team
The team slide introduces four key members: Jasper van der Sterren (Managing Director & Technical Architect), John van Aerle (Marketing Director), Arjan Lugthart (Interaction Designer), and Trajche Shoposki (Lead Developer). The slide uses icons to denote their roles (checkmarks, charts, pencils, and code brackets). Notably, the slide lacks professional biographies, past company exits, or specific years of experience, relying instead on titles to convey authority.
Slide 3: Our Solution
This slide serves as the functional heart of the pitch. It claims Redakt CMS is the "first in its class built from the ground up for .NET Core." It highlights three key features: cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, macOS), ease of use for mass adoption, and lower application development costs compared to other enterprise CMS products. A photo of a laptop displaying the interface provides a brief glimpse of the product UI.
Slide 4: Product Advantages
Redakt lists six advantages in a hexagonal grid. These include cost-effectiveness in licensing and implementation, hosting flexibility (on-premise, Azure, or Amazon), high site speed, modular architecture for developer customization, a professionally designed user interface, and the use of latest technologies to ensure developer friendliness. The focus here is heavily on the developer experience and infrastructure flexibility.
Slide 5: Competitors Analysis
This slide provides significant market context. It mentions Orchard Core and Umbraco as open-source rivals, while highlighting Sitecore and Episerver as the enterprise giants. Crucially, it notes that Sitecore and Episerver were both acquired for $1.1 billion in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Redakt's thesis is that these incumbents are struggling to migrate to .NET Core, creating a gap for an "enterprise class CMS for .NET Core" that Redakt intends to fill.
Slide 6: How we will make money
The business model is straightforward: user-based product license fees starting in Q2 2019. The slide includes a line graph showing a steep upward trajectory. Revenue is projected to reach over €5 million by 2021, with net profit approaching €1 million. The model assumes a consistent 12% monthly growth rate, which is a bold assumption for an enterprise software product that typically has longer sales cycles.
Slide 7: Investing
This is the 'Ask' slide. It is unusually direct, stating a requirement for €500,000 in exchange for a 10% stake. The breakdown of funds is clearly defined: 50% for salaries/freelancers, 25% for marketing, 20% for free cash flow, and 5% for office expenses. It also notes that the company has been entirely self-funded by the founder to date.
Slide 8: Project Milestones
The timeline shows a long-term commitment to the product. Development began in April 2016. The company reached a public beta in December 2018. The roadmap for 2019 includes closing the seed round in February, releasing the paid version in Q2, and scaling the team throughout the remainder of the year. This slide demonstrates that the product is not 'vaporware' but the result of two-plus years of engineering.
Slide 9: Contact
The final slide provides comprehensive contact information for Jasper van der Sterren, including a physical address in The Hague, Netherlands, a phone number, email, Skype handle, and LinkedIn profile. The inclusion of a physical office address adds a layer of corporate legitimacy to the early-stage venture.
What Redakt CMS Does Well
The Redakt deck excels at identifying a specific technical inflection point. By focusing on the .NET Core transition, they create a sense of urgency—investors understand that technology shifts create windows of opportunity where smaller, nimbler players can outmaneuver incumbents. The competitive analysis is particularly strong because it doesn't just list names; it lists billion-dollar acquisition values, which sets a clear 'North Star' for the potential ROI.
The transparency of the 'Ask' slide is also a strength. Many founders are vague about valuation in their initial deck, but Redakt puts a stake in the ground at €5 million post-money. This saves time by immediately filtering for investors who agree with that baseline valuation.
What is Missing from the Deck
The most glaring omission is a dedicated 'Problem' slide. The deck assumes the audience already understands why a .NET Core CMS is necessary. While this might work for a technical audience, a generalist VC might not grasp the pain points of legacy CMS architecture without a slide explaining the costs, slow speeds, or deployment hurdles of the status quo.
Furthermore, the 'Team' slide is thin on credentials. In enterprise software, the 'who' is often as important as the 'what.' Investors want to see that the founders have successfully navigated the enterprise sales cycle before or have deep roots in the Microsoft developer community. The lack of logos from previous employers or specific career achievements makes the team appear less experienced than they likely are.
Finally, there is no mention of unit economics or Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC). While the revenue model is mentioned, the deck does not explain how they will acquire these users at scale to hit the 12% monthly growth target.
Founder Takeaways: What to Copy
Specific Market Timing: If your product relies on a shift in a major ecosystem (like .NET, AWS, or Salesforce), make that the centerpiece of your competitive advantage. · Direct Valuation: If you have a firm idea of your company's worth, stating the stake offered for the investment amount can streamline the fundraising process. · Exit Benchmarking: Including the acquisition prices of competitors (e.g., the $1.1 billion figures for Sitecore and Episerver) helps investors visualize the 'size of the prize.' · Use of Funds Breakdown: Providing a percentage-based breakdown of how you will spend the investment shows operational maturity and planning.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary value proposition of Redakt CMS?
- Redakt CMS differentiates itself through its technical architecture. According to slide 3, it is built specifically for .NET Core, offering a pluggable, modular system that runs across Windows, Linux, and macOS. The deck emphasizes that while larger competitors exist, they are slow to transition to .NET Core, giving Redakt a window of opportunity to capture developers seeking modern, cross-platform enterprise tools.
- How does the company plan to generate revenue?
- As detailed on slide 6, the company utilizes a 'user-based product license fee' model. Revenue generation was slated to begin in Q2 2019. The financial strategy involves focusing on platform stability in the first year ('Revenue will be light'), followed by a scaling phase where they expect to benefit from increased market adoption and recurring licensing fees.
- What are the specific financial targets mentioned in the deck?
- Slide 6 contains a chart projecting revenue and net profit from 2019 to 2021. The company targets approximately €1 million in revenue for 2020, scaling sharply to over €5 million by 2021. Net profit is projected to remain near zero or slightly negative in 2019, rising to roughly €1 million by the end of 2021.
- Who is the competition and how does Redakt compare?
- Slide 5 identifies four main competitors: Orchard Core, Umbraco, Sitecore, and Episerver. Redakt argues that enterprise systems like Sitecore and Episerver do not yet fully support .NET Core, while basic systems that do support it lack enterprise-class features. By positioning itself between 'basic' and 'legacy enterprise,' Redakt claims a unique market niche.
- What is the current funding status and the new investment ask?
- Prior to this deck, Redakt was privately funded by its founder, Jasper van der Sterren, as noted on slide 7. The current ask is €500,000 for a 10% equity stake. The funds are earmarked for salaries (50%), marketing and PR (25%), free cash flow (20%), and office expenses (5%).
