Introducing Acacia
Hello, my name is Amie Richmond. I’m speaking to you on behalf of the millions of people living with chronic illness. Maybe that’s you, or someone you love. But almost certainly know someone, because nearly 50% of Americans are living with chronic illness. And if by chance you don’t know one of those people, you do now: because now you’ve met me. Thirteen years ago, I woke up with what I thought was a stomach flu. And today, 13 years later, I’m still living with it.Every day, I’m reminded how hard it is for someone without a chronic illness to understand what it’s like. It can be terribly isolating. And the slope into loneliness is very, very slippery. You truly can’t understand if you haven’t walked in our shoes. And the connections I’ve made with those who have understood have been the biggest factor in my healing journey.That’s why I started Acacia.
The Platform
Acacia is an interactive social media platform that connects people with similar chronic illnesses. It’s a safe space to share, to heal, to be understood. The market is hungry for this safe space. Currently millions of people flock to imperfect solutions. There are Facebook groups, but you often feel lost in crowds of hundreds of thousands, and.. you have to be on Facebook. There are Instagram pages, but you’re mostly just following people.. it’s not a real genuine connection. There are discussion boards, but more often than not.. devolve into online negativity. And that’s not to mention the ads, the selling of our data, and other privacy concerns. Let’s be honest: there isn't lot on these platforms that's helpful.Acacia fills this gap with a feature I'm really excited about — we call it "My Vibe." We filter your feed to show you what you need. Feeling down and need stories to make you feel less alone, that’s your vibe, and we’ll give you that. Feeling up and want to see success stories? That’s your vibe, and we’ll give you that. And that's just one of the ways Acacia helps you feel connected and in control of your experience.
Market Economics
Acacia has a freemium model because we want this to be an open, welcoming space. With the premium subscription, users will have even more control of their experience. Like... access to mental health professionals, exclusive content, webinars, and more as Acacia continues to grow. Our closest competitors fail to meet this community aspect that is at the core of Acacia. Let's talk about two of them. Healp focuses on general health matters and monetizes through advertising. Flaredown is just for tracking symptoms, not building community.Acacia is the first and only platform that provides a safe space to make these connections that are so necessary to live a full life, and to feel completely understood.
The Team
My team and I? We know how to make this happen. My husband and I are serial entrepreneurs; we’ve started six businesses in our six years together. My co-founder, Fred Cary, is a start-up guru, a mentor to me, and intimately understands our mission.
Go-to-Market
The addressable market? Well, it’s huge. As I mentioned before, nearly half of America lives with chronic illness. We're starting with 10 of the most common, so we can have the most impact. Our go-to-market strategy focuses heavily on social media. For the last three years, we’ve been engaging with over 500 accounts with a collective reach of millions of followers. We have relationships. We’ve made a name for ourselves in this space. And everybody is ready to help. Initially, we’ll leverage this community and influencer marketing to reach our target audience.
The Ask
We’re projecting one million users by the end of 2025. Assuming a 15% conversion rate to premium, even at $1.99 per month... that’s $12.5 million in revenue in 2025. In just a couple of years, we’re projecting revenue of $30 million. To do that, we need to launch in Q4 2024. And to do that, we need $250,000: 40% will go to marketing, 35% to operational costs, and 25% to the continual development of Acacia.Let me be clear: Acacia is my path from pain to power. In my journey, the greatest sources of hope are genuine connections. And now, I'm glad to be connected... with you. So on behalf of the millions of people living with chronic illness, we’re grateful for your time. I hope to see you soon. Thank you!
Pitch Videos and Pitch Pages are produced and hosted by Friends 'n Allies. Learn more at https://pitch.page.