Atlena

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of a software development company. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atlena?

We hired Atlena to put together a presentation that would stand on its own in front of venture capitalists and early investors. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The initial scope of Atlena’s work was putting together a presentation that accurately depicted our company. Then, the team also provided research and data to not only develop the presentation but also to give us insights into the market. This allowed us to validate what we were doing. 

At the outset, we didn’t have a clear brand positioning. During the iterations of the deck, Atlena helped solidify our brand image in the presentation. They took our branded images and accentuated them. Meanwhile, I provided them with directional numbers based on the initial research we did. Their team then confirmed those numbers and added supporting numbers to the overall data. 

So far, the presentation is in the form of a PowerPoint deck. It currently contains about 30 independent slides, which can be mixed and matched depending on the market and our target audience. The slides can also tell certain stories for certain types of people. Moreover, the business has changed over the years, so we’ve done a refresh on the deck. They’ve also added graphical representations of our next steps as a company. 

What is the team composition?

I interface with Fred (Founder), who also serves as the lead research analyst. 

How did you come to work with Atlena?

I had gone to Upwork to solicit bids for putting together the presentation. Then, I interviewed 10 different companies. My selection criteria focused more on their responses and what they brought to the table based on my general requests. Atlena was by far the most qualified; they also brought a significant amount of knowledge to the table. They didn’t just regurgitate what I told them and put it in a pretty picture. 

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent about $3,000 so far. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2020, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Atlena’s work quality is extraordinarily high and professional. The presentation has given our business a professional look and feel. From a company branding perspective, the deck helps showcase our professionalism as we go into a highly competitive market. 

How did Atlena perform from a project management standpoint?

We don’t have any hard or defined requirements in terms of deliverables, and this has worked out well. I haven’t had to push Atlena in terms of deadlines. Although we’ve tried to get the project completed quickly, completing the presentation on a certain date doesn’t have much intrinsic value for us. Our communication happens through emails, texts, and Zoom meetings, and they’re highly responsive. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They have a clear understanding of where our company is currently and where it is going. On top of that, they understand the marketplace that we’re targeting. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. We’ve had a perfectly good relationship with Atlena across the board. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you’re working with Atlena, go to their initial orientation meetings with a clear idea of what your product is and where you want to take it. Define those points, and Fred will dig in and around them while building an argument or a case for your product. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the CEO of an accessibility app. We created a skill for Amazon’s Alexa that allows visually impaired or blind people to browse around their homes.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atlena?

We needed help with pitch deck design and consulting for our business.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Atlena has done several things for our business. They started by helping us define our business model, and they were doing that while building our pitch deck for us. Overall, they provide material for fundraising and additional business consulting services.

What is the team composition?

We’ve only been working with Frederic (CEO).

How did you come to work with Atlena?

I found them through Upwork. I interviewed other providers, but we chose them based on their insights, which were superior to our other options — we knew they were the right team for us.

How much have you invested with them?

We’ve spent $1,400 with them so far.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in November 2021, and the engagement is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

They’ve provided much more thoroughly than I expected; there’s no comparison between what I came up with versus what they did. In addition to that, the potential investors that we’ve sent the deck to have commented positively on it. Overall, the product well represents our value and what we’re trying to achieve as a company.

How did Atlena perform from a project management standpoint?

We’re in constant communication via text messages and email. 

What did you find most impressive about them? 

I like that I can trust their work and not worry about many things, which is important for us as a startup company. In addition to that, the products they deliver are professional and great looking.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I don’t think there’s anything they can improve on — they have so much insight into every industry and a lot of data that enabled them to help us steer clear of certain pitfalls that companies usually fall into.

Any advice for potential customers?

Communicate your requirements, even if you want to make changes in the middle of the project.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of GoVote, a startup working to consolidate voting and educating voters to vote with confidence.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atlena?

I had the opportunity to pitch my startup idea to DC, so I hired Atlena to help me with the financials. I wanted to receive a solid overview of what the key financials are that I should be looking at for the next three years and other key information to present.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped lay out clear revenue, direct costs, expenses, profits and loss, and anything else I needed. They ran me through a solid Q&A session to make sure I wasn’t missing any major cost, and then developed the forecast. They’ve helped lay the report out nicely in my pitch deck. I’m still working with them to make any optimizations. 

What is the team composition?

I worked with Fred (Research & Analytics Consultant). 

How did you come to work with Atlena?

I spoke to a few different companies, but none of them gave me the value proposition I wanted. I was recommended to use Atelena through a friend in business school with me. 

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $2,500.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since February 2020. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

I’ve had a lot of success since the pitch day, so I’m continuing to work toward raising more funds. From those pitches, I’ve been able to raise over $5,000. I have a few more pitches lined up because of their work. 

How did Atlena perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re very useful in managing the project. We have phone calls, emails, and Zoom sessions, and he always sends follow-ups about what we discussed and what’s happening next. They’re responsive and quick. All of the reports are well explained and they show me their thought process. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I was intimidated before starting the project, but they’ve made sure to walk me through everything and let me know they’re always there. I always feel really secure about what they’re working on. I never have to question anything because they walk me through it. 

Since I came into the project with very little background on it, I appreciate their step-by-step process. I’ve been really happy with their work. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

It’s been a really positive experience for me, so there’s nothing. They could be more discoverable because I’m lucky I found them, but I’m sure that’s hard. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Consider all of the different questions you need to be thinking about. That will help you be more prepared before starting the project and it’ll go more smoothly and quickly. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the managing partner of an executive search firm.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atlena?

Atlena did work for a campus recruiting app that I'm creating. I wanted numbers on similar businesses to help put the business plan together. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Atlena helped put the business plan together with market research and facts. Their team provided an analysis of competitors including revenues and market caps. They also looked into when businesses started and where those companies are now. As well, their team supported formatting what I’d written into a presentation. They helped put the business plan into a marketable format.

What is the team composition?

We worked with just one person, Frederic (Director of Research and Analytics, Atlena).

How did you come to work with Atlena?

I found them online.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent about $2,500 on their services.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in November 2018.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

We’re just launching the business in Q1 of this year. The research was helpful in terms of seeing where the business value is and which companies were raising money and which ones weren’t. They were able to dig into the information a little bit more to figure out which businesses people were using and why.

How did Atlena perform from a project management standpoint?

We communicated via e-mail and phone. Frederic was good at accessing information on different private equity sites and looking into the value of similar businesses. He was good at giving me timely updates. I never had to ask about where the project stood. He was good at following up and if he had questions about things, he was quick to ask. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

I haven’t worked with a lot of market research or business services companies, so I don’t have a good comparison. Frederic was good about trying to understand what I was looking for and not trying to complicate the project. Atlena was responsive and communicative with updates. When I asked him to make changes, he was good at doing that.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, the engagement was good. I can't speak to the whole company because I worked with Frederic. He did a great job and I was really happy with the product.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a co-founder and architect of a development company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Atlena?

I hired Atlena to conduct market research to help launch our business idea.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

I had two business ideas—one about food and beverage programs on college campuses, and another about a healthcare and wellness facility I wanted to develop. They started by conducting research on the global and US markets. Then they started to narrow down the scope to something more specific to what we wanted to so. Finally, they created a summary of the work and really synthesized the information so we had a specific business plan.

What is the team composition?

I worked directly with Fred (Director of Research & Analytics, Atlena). Though, both their research and business teams were working on the project.

How did you come to work with Atlena?

After conducting a lot of research, I found them online. They were the most responsive company I spoke with. When we talked, they asked me a lot of questions. It wasn’t just me interviewing them.

How much have you invested with them?

I spent $500 per project, so $1,000 in total.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in 2018. The health and wellness project took 2–3 weeks, and the food and beverage project took about six weeks.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The work they did for me was very useful. Though we decided not to go forward with either of the projects, we’ll be able to use this information if we decide to rekindle the project. They delivered usable content. Of course, we weren’t able to test the business plan they created, but we’re optimistic.

How did Atlena perform from a project management standpoint?

Fred was a really good communicator. We usually contacted him via phone or email, but we also met in person a few times. They were really receptive to changes in the project requirements. Even if we asked for something outside the scope of the project, they were willing to do what we needed while staying in budget.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their thoroughness and preparedness at the beginning of the project had a really big impact on the project’s outcome. They asked a lot of questions and were really able to narrow down the scope of the project.

Are there any areas they could improve?

Nothing really stands out.