The Untz pitch deck is a time capsule of the early 2010s Electronic Dance Music (EDM) explosion. The company identifies a fragmented market where existing blogs are limited by geography or sub-genre, proposing a centralized platform for fans. With a $500,000 funding ask, the deck focuses heavily on personnel and event-based marketing, such as 'The Untz Challenge.' While the market analysis slide successfully highlights massive industry growth—citing $4 billion in global spending and 42% growth in digital sales—the deck lacks specific internal traction metrics, unit economics, or a detailed pr…
Key takeaways
- The company identifies a problem in the EDM space where blogs have limited functionality and narrow geographic or genre focus (Slide 2).
- Market data highlights a $4 billion global EDM industry with 64 million fans in the USA (Slide 3).
- The deck cites high-profile M&A activity, including SFX Entertainment's $1 billion acquisition plan, to validate the exit environment (Slide 3).
- Marketing strategy is heavily reliant on 'The Untz Challenge' and partnerships with festivals like Electric Forest and Wakarusa (Slide 4).
- The management team is comprised of four key roles: CEO/CFO, COO, CCO, and CTO, with two partners joining in 2010 (Slide 5).
- The funding ask is exactly $500,000, intended to transition four employees to full-time status (Slide 6).
- Revenue streams are described as 'multiple' and 'synergistic' but are not explicitly broken down into a financial model (Slide 7).
- The deck omits a dedicated 'Product' slide, leaving the specific features of the platform to be inferred from the problem and marketing slides.
Introduction
The Untz pitch deck is a straightforward representation of a media startup looking to capitalize on a specific cultural moment: the rise of Electronic Dance Music (EDM) in the United States. The deck, consisting of 13 slides (7 of which are analyzed here), focuses on the transition from a niche blog to a professionalized media and event platform. The presentation is characterized by a heavy reliance on industry-wide growth statistics and a clear, if somewhat narrow, plan for capital deployment.
Slide 1: Title Slide
The cover slide is functional, featuring the company name, URL (www.theuntz.com), and a colorful logo that evokes sound waves or digital connectivity. Crucially, it includes direct contact information for Avi Gallant, the Founding Partner, including a physical address in Vallejo, CA, a phone number, and an email address. This level of transparency is common in early-stage decks where the founder is the primary point of contact.
Slide 2: The Problem
The Untz identifies two primary pain points in the EDM media market. First, they claim that existing blogs offer "limited content, features, and functionality." Second, they argue that the majority of competitors focus too narrowly on "regional geographic areas or sub-genres of EDM." The slide uses a collage of screenshots from various music sites (such as Dubstep.net, Dancing Astronaut, and ThisSongIsSick.com) to illustrate the cluttered and fragmented nature of the current market. By highlighting these competitors, The Untz implicitly positions itself as the potential aggregator or "big tent" platform for the entire genre.
Slide 3: Market Analysis
This is arguably the strongest slide in the deck, using third-party data to validate the opportunity. It breaks the market down into three categories: consumers, industry revenue, and M&A activity. Key figures cited include 64 million EDM fans in the USA and $4 billion spent globally on the industry. The slide also mentions that digital music sales increased by 42% year-over-year. Perhaps most compelling for investors is the mention of "Strategic Industry Acquisitions," specifically Robert Sillerman (SFX Entertainment) expecting to spend $1 billion on dance music promoter acquisitions. This suggests a clear exit path for investors, as large players were actively consolidating the space at the time this deck was produced.
Slide 4: Marketing
The marketing strategy is presented through a circular flow chart and festival logos. The "Untz Challenge" is highlighted as a centerpiece, suggesting a contest-driven model to acquire users and content. The marketing mix includes viral social media content, street teams, sponsorships, SEO, and paid advertising (Facebook and Google). The inclusion of festival logos like Electric Forest and Wakarusa indicates that the company has already established some level of partnership or presence within the live event circuit, which is vital for a music-focused brand.
Slide 5: Management Team
The deck introduces four key leaders. Avi Gallant (CEO/CFO) and Matthew Thomas (COO) are listed as Partners and Co-Founders. Anand Harsh (CCO) and Jeremy Postlethwaite (CTO) are noted as having joined in early 2010. The slide lists their educational backgrounds (Finance, Economics, Journalism, and Applied Science) and their specific responsibilities. The CTO’s section is particularly detailed, listing technical proficiencies in PHP, MySQL, JavaScript, jQuery, SEO, and API integration. This suggests the company was focused on building a custom platform rather than just using off-the-shelf blogging software.
Slide 6: Primary Uses of Funding - $500k Investment
The ask is specific: $500,000. The allocation is divided into three buckets: Personnel, Events, and Sponsorships. The most significant takeaway here is that the funding is intended to turn the four management team members into "Four Full-Time Employees." This indicates that, up to this point, the team may have been working part-time or on a sweat-equity basis. The "Events" and "Sponsorships" columns detail how the company plans to generate a return, mentioning ticketing revenue, merchandise, and co-branded marketing.
Slide 7: Keys to our Success
The final slide in this set serves as a summary of the company's value proposition. It reiterates the strength of the management team, the engaged fan base, strategic relationships, and the growing industry. It also mentions "Multiple synergistic revenue streams," though it does not provide a specific breakdown of these streams (e.g., advertising vs. ticketing vs. merch). This slide is designed to leave the investor with a sense of the company's momentum and the broad tailwinds supporting the EDM sector.
What The Untz Pitch Deck Does Well
The deck excels at market validation. By citing specific figures like the 42% growth in digital sales and the $1 billion acquisition budget of SFX Entertainment, the founders successfully paint a picture of a "hot" market. They also do a good job of showing, rather than just telling, their marketing reach by including the logos of major festivals they are associated with. The transparency regarding the $500,000 ask and the specific intent to move the team to full-time status provides a clear understanding of the company's current stage and immediate needs.
What Is Missing From The Untz Pitch Deck
The most glaring omission is a dedicated Product slide. While the "Problem" slide mentions limited functionality in other blogs, the deck never explicitly shows what The Untz's "superior" functionality looks like. There are no wireframes, app screenshots, or feature lists. Furthermore, the deck is light on internal traction metrics. While it mentions a "significant base of core engaged fans," it does not provide specific numbers for Monthly Active Users (MAU), page views, or email subscribers. Finally, there is no financial projection or unit economics—investors are told there are "multiple revenue streams," but they aren't shown how those streams scale or what the margins look like.
What Other Founders Can Copy
Founders should emulate the way The Untz used the "Market Analysis" slide to create a sense of urgency. By highlighting recent acquisitions in the space, they make the case that if an investor doesn't act now, they might miss the consolidation wave. The clear breakdown of the management team’s roles and technical skills is also a good practice, as it demonstrates that the startup has the necessary internal talent to execute the plan. Lastly, being specific about the funding amount and the primary use of those funds (in this case, personnel and events) helps set clear expectations for the investment round.
Final Thoughts
The Untz deck is a classic early-stage "bet on the jockey and the horse" pitch. The "horse" is the booming EDM industry, and the "jockeys" are a team with a mix of business and technical skills. While the deck lacks the data-heavy rigor of a later-stage pitch, it effectively communicates the opportunity within a specific cultural niche. For a $500,000 seed round in the early 2010s, this deck likely provided enough of a narrative to start serious conversations with angel investors or small VCs interested in the intersection of media and music technology.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the primary problem The Untz is trying to solve?
- According to slide 2, the company believes the current EDM media landscape is too fragmented. They argue that existing blogs offer limited content and functionality, and are often restricted to specific sub-genres or regional areas. The Untz aims to be a more comprehensive, feature-rich destination for the broader EDM community.
- How much capital is The Untz seeking and what is the use of funds?
- The Untz is seeking a $500,000 investment. As detailed on slide 6, the primary use of this funding is to support four full-time employees (CEO/CFO, CTO, COO, and CCO). Other uses include expanding event-based revenue (ticketing and merchandise) and securing artist, event, and festival sponsorships.
- What evidence of market growth does the deck provide?
- Slide 3 provides several macro-indicators: 64 million EDM fans in the USA, $4 billion spent globally on the industry, and a 42% year-over-year increase in digital music sales. It also notes that the top 10 DJs grossed over $100 million in a 12-month period, signaling high commercial viability.
- What is 'The Untz Challenge' mentioned in the marketing section?
- While not fully explained in text, slide 4 shows 'The Untz Challenge III' as a core part of their marketing and partnership strategy. It appears to be a talent search or competition integrated with major festivals like Summer Camp, Electric Forest, and Wakarusa to drive brand awareness and engagement.
- Who are the key members of the management team?
- The team consists of Avi Gallant (CEO/CFO), Matthew Thomas (COO), Anand Harsh (CCO), and Jeremy Postlethwaite (CTO). The deck highlights a mix of finance, economics, journalism, and technical backgrounds, including experience in SEO and API integration (Slide 5).
