Space and Time’s pitch deck is a highly technical, infrastructure-focused presentation that successfully navigated the complex Web3 data landscape to raise $20M in 2023. The deck centers on the 'Proof of SQL' concept, promising to bridge the gap between centralized analytical speed and decentralized trust. By leveraging a heavy-hitting leadership team with deep roots in enterprise data (Teradata) and strategic partnerships with Chainlink, the company positioned itself as the missing link in the dApp stack. While the deck is light on traditional business metrics like CAC or LTV, it compensates…
Key takeaways
- The deck identifies a specific technical gap: the Web3 stack lacks familiar, enterprise-scale analytics tools (Slide 2).
- Space and Time differentiates itself through 'Proof of SQL,' using cryptographic proofs to verify that query results are untampered (Slide 3).
- The platform claims significant performance benchmarks, citing 0.1 seconds for transactional SQL queries and 2 minutes for predictive analytic jobs (Slide 2).
- Interoperability is a core theme, with the architecture supporting Ethereum, Solana, Binance, Avalanche, and Fantom (Slide 4).
- The leadership team features deep enterprise experience, including former VPs and SVPs from Teradata and Vista Equity (Slide 5).
- Strategic alignment with Chainlink is emphasized, featuring Sergey Nazarov as a lead advisor and integrating Chainlink nodes into the data flow (Slide 5, Slide 6).
- The roadmap outlines a transition from prototype in Q2 2022 to a public sale and mainnet testing by 1H 2023 (Slide 7).
- The deck omits traditional financial projections, unit economics, and a specific 'Ask' slide detailing the use of funds.
The Technical Bridge: Space and Time Pitch Deck Analysis
Space and Time entered the market during a pivotal shift in the Web3 ecosystem. As decentralized applications (dApps) grew in complexity, the limitations of on-chain storage and the insecurity of centralized off-chain databases became a significant bottleneck. This deck, which supported a $20M venture round in 2023 as reported by Business Insider, focuses almost entirely on the technical resolution of this bottleneck.
Slide 1: Title and Vision
The opening slide sets a high-concept tone with the tagline: "Lightspeed-fast analytics meets the trustless web." The branding is distinctly futuristic, utilizing high-contrast neon aesthetics that have become standard in the Web3 infrastructure space. It establishes the two core value propositions immediately: speed (analytics) and security (trustless).
Slide 2: The Problem and Solution
Slide 2, titled "(Space and) Time to Value," defines the market gap. It states that the Web3 stack is missing "familiar analytics tools that provide enterprise scale." This is a direct appeal to developers coming from the Web2 world who are used to tools like Snowflake or BigQuery. The solution offered is a single platform for both transactional and real-time analytic workloads. Crucially, the slide provides specific performance metrics: 0.1 seconds for transactional SQL queries and 2 minutes for predictive analytic jobs. By including example queries like "show the likelihood that a liquidity pool collapses," the founders ground their abstract tech in high-stakes DeFi use cases.
Slide 3: Competitive Landscape and Use Cases
The competitive matrix on Slide 3 is a classic "checkmarks for us, Xs for them" visualization. It compares Space and Time against Ceramic, GunDB, BigchainDB, and Indexing Servers. The categories chosen—Tamperproof, Scalable Query Engine, Machine Learning, Blockchain Functions in-DB, and On-chain Indexing—are designed to show that existing solutions are either too slow or not sufficiently decentralized. The bottom of the slide introduces two more use cases: Play-to-Earn Gaming (detecting cheating) and Insurance (adjusting rates with real-time analytics). This slide effectively argues that Space and Time isn't just a database; it is a new category of infrastructure.
Slide 4: Detailed Platform Architecture
Slide 4 is the most complex in the deck, featuring a "Detailed Example Platform Architecture." It maps the flow of data from multichain sources (Ethereum, Solana, etc.) through a decentralized p2p network of indexed clusters. Key technical components highlighted include RPC requests, oracle networks, and IPFS-based decentralized file storage. This slide is intended for the technical due diligence phase, proving to investors that the team has a granular plan for handling data spillover and multi-cluster joins. It visualizes how "Space and Time" acts as the connective tissue between blockchains and clients.
Slide 5: Leadership and Advisors
For an infrastructure play, the team is often more important than the initial code. Slide 5 showcases a "Leadership" row with deep enterprise pedigree. Scott Dykstra and Nate Holiday both bring significant experience from Teradata, a titan in the traditional data warehousing space. Jay White provides the academic rigor necessary for the cryptography (ZK Snarks) aspect. The "Advisors" section is equally impressive, lead by Sergey Nazarov of Chainlink. The inclusion of executives from Meta, YouTube, and Ticketmaster suggests the company is looking beyond pure Web3 to enterprise data standards.
Slide 6: Web3 Data Standards
Slide 6 reinforces the partnership with Chainlink, showing the "dApp Interoperability Layer." It illustrates how Space and Time abstracts blockchain complexities and combines on-chain and off-chain data into a single query. The visual flow shows data moving through Chainlink nodes into the Space and Time core, then outputting ZK-SNARK proofs back to smart contracts. This slide is a summary of the technical moat: the ability to provide "cryptographically guaranteed analytics" that smart contracts can actually trust.
Slide 7: The Roadmap
The final visible slide covers the roadmap from Q2 2022 to 1H 2023. It shows a logical progression from hiring and prototyping to launching a decentralized query engine on Ethereum and Binance (Q3 2022), then scaling to other chains (Q4 2022), and finally reaching a public sale and mainnet testing in 2023. The mention of "temperature-based storage" in 1H 2023 indicates a long-term plan for data lifecycle management (hot vs. cold storage), which is a standard feature in enterprise data warehouses.
What Space and Time Does Well
The deck excels at positioning. By repeatedly using the term "Enterprise Scale," the founders distance themselves from the "hobbyist" reputation of many early Web3 projects. They successfully frame their product as the inevitable evolution of the data stack. The use of specific, high-value examples (liquidity pool collapse, gaming cheats, insurance settlement) makes the technical jargon feel relevant to a business audience. Furthermore, the heavy emphasis on their relationship with Chainlink provides immediate ecosystem credibility, suggesting that Space and Time is not a lone wolf but a core piece of a larger, validated architecture.
What is Missing from the Deck
Despite the technical depth, there are several glaring omissions typical of early-stage infrastructure decks. First, there is no mention of the business model. How does the platform generate revenue? Is it a token-gated model, a SaaS subscription, or a query-based fee? Second, there is no "Ask" slide in the provided images. While we know from external reports they raised $20M, the deck itself doesn't state the amount sought or the intended allocation of capital. Third, there is a total lack of market sizing (TAM/SAM/SOM). The deck assumes the investor already believes the Web3 data market is massive. Finally, there are no details on the "Public Sale" mentioned in the roadmap, which is a critical piece of information for venture investors concerned with regulatory compliance and tokenomics.
Founder Takeaways: How to Pitch Infrastructure
Founders building "hard tech" or infrastructure should take note of how Space and Time handles complexity. They don't shy away from it; they lean into it with detailed architecture diagrams, but they always surround those diagrams with clear, benefit-driven headers. If you are pitching a technical solution to a technical problem, your deck must prove that you have the "adults in the room" to build it. Space and Time does this by highlighting their Teradata background. Finally, if you have a strategic partner that is a leader in your field (like Chainlink is for oracles), make that partnership a central pillar of your narrative. It acts as a powerful proxy for validation when your own product is still in the prototype or testing phase.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary problem Space and Time aims to solve?
- According to Slide 2, the problem is that organizations need to shift from 'after-the-event' analytics to trusted predictions on real-time data. However, the current Web3 stack lacks the familiar, enterprise-scale analytics tools found in traditional tech, leaving dApps siloed and unable to process complex data securely.
- How does Space and Time compare to existing decentralized databases?
- Slide 3 features a competitor matrix comparing Space and Time against Ceramic, GunDB, BigchainDB, and Indexing Servers. Space and Time claims to be the only solution that offers all five key features: Tamperproof data, a Scalable Query Engine, Machine Learning capabilities, Blockchain Functions in-DB, and On-chain Indexing.
- Who are the key people behind the project?
- The leadership team (Slide 5) includes Scott Dykstra (former VP at Teradata Cloud), Jay White, PhD (a research professor specializing in ZK Snarks), and Nate Holiday (former SVP at Teradata and Vista Equity). The advisory board is notably strong, featuring Chainlink co-founder Sergey Nazarov and former Google AI executives.
- What is the 'Proof of SQL' mentioned in the deck?
- While the term 'Proof of SQL' is a company trademark, Slide 3 and Slide 6 describe the underlying mechanism: using ZK-SNARK proofs for outsourced queries. This allows the platform to provide 'cryptographically guaranteed analytics,' ensuring that the data returned to a smart contract has not been manipulated by the off-chain infrastructure.
- What chains does the platform support?
- Slide 4 and Slide 7 list a wide range of multichain interoperability. The platform indexes data from Ethereum, Solana, Binance, Avalanche, and Fantom. The roadmap indicates that the decentralized query engine launched first on Ethereum and Binance in Q3 2022, before scaling to the other chains.
