Building a manufacturing story
Pico
Their Goliath
How to get VCs into IIoT
The engineers at Pico had an idea that could reshape American manufacturing – take IoT technology that giant factories use to improve efficiency and right-size it for thousands of smaller manufactures. After a successful product launch product, they stalled in getting angel investors to understand their company’s full potential.
Strategy
Give the pitch a simple framework
Their initial investor presentation was mired in details. We simplified their story by giving it an overarching theme: Small, Medium, and Large. Solving small errors in mid-sized factories can make a large impact. Applying this new framing device throughout Pico’s story made each part more understandable.
“In four weeks, you nailed the story
we struggled with for six months.”
Pico CEO and Founder
Story
We gave a reason to believe right up front
After breaking down their existing story to look at the essential elements, we rebuilt it using the “Small, Medium, Large” framework. We worked iteratively with Pico to refine how they told the story of the challenge their technology solves.
Identity
A minimal viable brand is sometimes best
If a young brand is too polished, investors question their company focus. If an identity is all over the place, though, it distracts from the main story. Accordingly, we updated Pico’s original identity just enough to build confidence and developed core brand attributes to inform the storytelling.
Design
Show "Why" differently than “What” or "How"
We gave each section of the presentation a unique template based on what work it needed to do. Narrative titles and strong imagery told the story of “Why” Pico matters. Clear illustrations showed “what” their technology does. We separated the business case by changing the background color and putting likely VC questions in each title.
Results
The angels smiled on Pico
Pico nailed their pitch and secured a round of angel investment. Their company is now expanding its product offering and securing new customers.
Partners
Britton Holland (Identity and Presentation Design)
