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Making a statement in San Francisco
Cellectric Biosciences is at the forefront of electromagnetism-based healthcare, developing proprietary electromagnetic cell manipulation technology. In simpler terms, the team at Cellectric is creating a revolutionary technology that will soon enable modifications to human cells in ways previously thought impossible. What they are doing feels like something straight out of a science fiction movie.
When they needed to prepare their investor pitch, they turned to us. As winners of the Startup World Cup in Austria, they earned an invitation to pitch at the finals in San Francisco. Naturally, they wanted to stand out—so they reached out for our expertise.
Process
We started with multiple older versions of their presentation. However, achieving the final result both teams envisioned required countless hours of research—not only to refine the narrative but also to fully understand Cellectric’s technology and its industry.
As we developed the story, we worked hand-in-hand with the founding team. Given the complexity of their work, we even conducted an internal training session to ensure our designers truly understood what Cellectric was building. This is because we firmly believe that there’s a difference between creating visually appealing slides and crafting visuals that clearly communicate a message. The best presentations are not just beautiful; they effectively convey complex ideas in the simplest way possible.
Storytelling
Design selection
Animation
Final touches
Storytelling
Shaping Cellectric’s presentation was an iterative and collaborative effort. We continuously checked in with the founders to validate our ideas, while they sought feedback from their advisors. This wasn't just necessary due to the technical nature of their work—it was also crucial because their audience consisted of highly sophisticated investors with deep experience in biotech.
Our goal was to craft a pitch that was both simple and precise—which, as we soon realized, was easier said than done.
As an early-stage startup, Cellectric didn’t have a well-defined brand identity. That’s why our design team first invested significant time in brand exploration. Given that they were pitching in San Francisco—one of the most competitive startup arenas—we knew they needed to stand out.
We saw an opportunity to incorporate a sleek, tech-forward design, and once we developed the visual direction you see here, we knew we had found the right approach. This wasn’t just about looking good—it was about creating a presentation style rarely seen in the startup world.
We also saw tremendous potential in adding animations to enhance the live presentation. However, some of the animations we envisioned required far more time than our pre-approved budget allowed. The problem? We knew they would make a huge difference in differentiating Cellectric from the competition in San Francisco. So, we made the call—we went above and beyond, incorporating animations that exceeded PowerPoint’s capabilities by using Adobe After Effects.
There were numerous iterations of the presentation. We conducted eye-tracking tests, tweaked elements for clarity, and even converted fonts to outlines to ensure text displayed flawlessly during the pitch. Sure, installing fonts might not seem like a big deal—but trust us, it's a long story.
The results
Cellectric’s funding round is still ongoing, so we’re eagerly awaiting the results. Fingers crossed! The more we learned about their technology, the more we were fascinated by its potential impact on the future of healthcare.
As for their pitch in San Francisco? When they returned, the team told us that everyone stopped them to ask about their slides. No surprises there. People see the slides—but behind the slides, there’s an entire process of strategic storytelling and design.
We’re thrilled you loved it, SF. Thanks!
