This startup wants to take on PowerPoint and Notion with its interactive presentation software. Check out the 9-slide pitch deck Chronicle used to raise $7.5 million from Accel.


Chronicle cofounders

  • San Francisco-based Chronicle has raised $7.5 million in seed funding from Accel and Square Peg.
  • The startup has created interactive presentation tools to modernize outdated storytelling methods.
  • We got an exclusive look at the 9-slide deck it created with its own tools to raise the fresh funds.

A startup that aims to transform the way businesses design and use presentations has just raised $7.5 million in seed funding from Accel and Square Peg Capital. 

Sydney and San Francisco-based Chronicle has designed a software tool that enables teams to quickly design sleek presentations. The aim is to transform the outdated methods of storytelling that came with the presentation slide format 40 years ago.

Since presentation softwares “were created to design overhead projector slides,” the existing tools and formats haven’t kept up with modern demands. “This has aggravated bad information design practices and poor communication habits among users,” cofounder and CEO Mayuresh Patole told Insider.

While creating presentations, Chronicle offers users pre-designed blocks as templates so they can save time while creating impactful designs, he added.

With the advent of more short-form content, attention spans have dwindled, with audiences losing interest in presentations around the 10-minute mark. To combat this, the startup has designed a toolkit that lets users customize their presentations so that they are dynamic and engaging — particularly for the growing Gen Z workforce. 

Chronicle’s tools include interactive blocks that can be turned into visuals, with multiple ways of presenting existing work.

“With pre-designed blocks like scrollable timelines, clickable cards, data visualizations, and more, you can craft powerful, stunning stories in a fraction of the time,” Patole added.

Currently in its beta-testing stage, the startup offers a freemium subscription model, with “the option to upgrade for additional features and services,” Patole said. There is also a monthly paid tier for teams and enterprise users.

When fundraising, the cofounders realized that the problem of creating dry presentations “resonated with everyone” they pitched to. This, combined with the huge market opportunity in the presentation space, helped the team to relay their mission to investors.

The founders also designed their pitch deck using Chronicle’s own software. “We used the opportunity to pitch to give our investors a glimpse into how an interactive, novel storytelling medium can be game-changing,” Patole added.

The $7.5 million seed round was led by California-based venture capital firm Accel, which has previously backed Squarespace and Deliveroo, with additional participation from Melbourne-based VC firm Square Peg, as well as angel investors from Apple, Google, Meta, Slack, Stripe, Superhuman, OnDeck, and Adobe. 

With the fresh funds, Chronicle will focus on expanding its team as it doubles down on its product development. It will also concentrate on customer acquisition as it continues to grow.

Check out the 9-slide deck — created using the startup’s own interactive tools — that helped secure the fresh funds.



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