Storemates Pitch Deck Teardown: A Peer-to-Peer Marketplace

Executive Summary

Storemates is a peer-to-peer marketplace designed to disrupt the traditional self-storage industry. By connecting people with spare space in their homes to those who need affordable storage, the company aims to become a leader in the UK sharing economy. The deck presented is a Business Development Plan covering the years 2016 through 2020, outlining a path from a proof-of-concept startup to a household name with 32,000 active contracts. The company is raising £160,000 to fuel this expansion, valuing the business at £2 million.

Slide 1: Title Slide

The cover slide establishes the brand identity with the tagline "Your Marketplace for Storage Space." It features a photograph of a man in a storage environment (an attic or basement), grounding the digital marketplace in a physical reality. The document is explicitly labeled as a "Business Development Plan (2016 – 2020)," signaling to investors that this is a long-term strategic roadmap rather than a simple pitch for immediate cash.

Slide 2: Our Special Advisors

Storemates leads with its social capital. The advisor slide is dense with high-tier corporate logos, including M&S, Airbnb, Microsoft, and John Lewis. Notable names include Lord Andrew Stone and Patrick Robinson. The presence of an Airbnb executive is particularly strategic, as Storemates is positioning itself as the "Airbnb of storage." This slide serves to de-risk the investment by showing that experienced industry leaders are mentoring the team on growth, public policy, and digital strategy.

Slide 3: The Story of Anna and the Shahs

This slide uses a human-centric approach to illustrate the use case. While the text is minimal, the title "The Story of Anna and the Shahs" suggests a narrative-driven explanation of how the marketplace works in practice. Using real people (or personas) helps investors visualize the transaction: a local resident providing a service to a neighbor, emphasizing the community aspect of the platform.

Slide 4: Security & Safety

For a peer-to-peer marketplace, trust is the primary barrier to entry. Storemates addresses this head-on with a list of nine safety features. Key highlights include a £10,000 Protection Guarantee, ID verification for all listers, and the use of FCA-approved GoCardless for payments. They also mention integration with eRated for cross-platform reputation, which is a clever way to bootstrap trust by importing a user's history from other marketplaces. The claim "No abuses of trust to date" is a strong, if anecdotal, performance metric.

Slide 5: Achievements to Date

This slide provides the hard data required to validate the concept. Storemates reports over 12,000 registered users and 2,000 storage spaces available across the UK. They cite 1,300 historical bookings and 6,000 page impressions per month. Crucially, they mention that seed investment has already been secured to establish proof of concept, and they are now moving to a new business model to monetize all rental income. This indicates the company is moving out of its "free" or "beta" phase into a revenue-generating commercial entity.

Slide 6: Business Model (Visual)

This is a transition slide featuring a photograph of people moving a box. It reinforces the physical nature of the business. While it contains no text other than the heading, it sets the stage for the financial mechanics explained later in the deck.

Slide 7: Extensive Media Coverage

Storemates demonstrates significant PR traction. The slide is a collage of clippings from major UK outlets: BBC 2, Radio 4, The Guardian, Financial Times, and The Mail on Sunday. Being featured on "Dragons' Den" and mentioned by Martin Lewis (MoneySavingExpert.com) provides a level of third-party validation that is difficult to buy. This slide suggests that the "problem" (expensive storage) and the "solution" (Storemates) have already resonated with the general public.

Slide 8: Road to Market

The roadmap is divided into three distinct phases. Phase 1 (2016-17) focuses on establishing the brand with a target of 3,575 contracts. Phase 2 (2017-19) aims for 23,000 contracts through team expansion and wider UK marketing. Phase 3 (2019-20) targets "Household brand status" and 32,000 contracts, which they estimate to be 10% of all storage users. The tech roadmap evolves from mobile responsiveness to a full ecommerce engine and global franchise exploration.

Slide 9: Storage Income to Date

This slide shows the results of their "new payment model" testing. In 2014, they recorded 12 payments totaling £1,257. In 2015, this grew to 160 payments totaling £4,347. While the absolute numbers are very small, the growth trend (a 245% increase in income and a 1,233% increase in payment volume) is used to demonstrate that the mechanism for taking a cut of the transaction is functional and beginning to scale.

Slide 10: Valuation Calculations

The final slide in this set contains the "Ask." Storemates is seeking £160,000 for 8% equity, implying a £2,000,000 valuation. The justification for this valuation is based on future demand. They calculate that 32,000 spaces at £20 per week with a 14% commission would yield £4,659,200 in annual income by 2020. They also cite a PWC estimate that the UK sharing economy will be worth £9 billion by 2025. The slide concludes with a projected Exit Equity Value of £7,556,000 by 2020, offering a 39.4% Equity IRR.

What Works

Trust Framework: The Security & Safety slide (Slide 4) is comprehensive. By offering a £10k guarantee and using FCA-regulated partners, they address the biggest concern for both hosts and renters. · Advisor Quality: The list of advisors (Slide 2) is exceptionally strong for a seed-stage company. Having Airbnb's Head of Public Policy is a specific, high-value win for a company operating in a similar regulatory gray area. · Media Validation: The PR coverage (Slide 7) is not just local; it includes top-tier national broadcasters and financial newspapers, which builds immediate credibility.

What is Missing

Founder Biographies: While the advisors are listed, the actual day-to-day management team is not detailed in these slides. Investors back founders, not just advisors. · Unit Economics: The deck mentions a 14% commission but doesn't detail the Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) or the Lifetime Value (LTV) of a user. With only £4,347 in revenue against a £2M valuation, these metrics are critical. · Competitive Landscape: There is no mention of other peer-to-peer storage startups or how they specifically compete against established giants like Safestore or Big Yellow beyond being "cheaper." · Detailed Use of Funds: The deck asks for £160,000 but doesn't provide a breakdown of how that money will be spent (e.g., % to marketing, % to tech, % to hiring).

Founder's Guide: What to Copy

The 'Road to Market' Structure: Slide 8 is an excellent example of how to present a multi-year plan. It breaks down goals into Marketing, Tech, and hard KPIs (number of contracts), giving investors a clear way to measure future success. · Leveraging Third-Party Trust: The way Storemates uses logos (Slide 2 and Slide 7) is effective. They don't just list names; they associate themselves with established brands to borrow authority. · Clear Valuation Logic: Even if the numbers are optimistic, Slide 10 shows the math. Many founders pull a valuation out of thin air; Storemates at least attempts to tie it to a specific commission rate, a specific number of users, and a specific market size estimate from a reputable source (PWC).