These technology companies are sometimes expected to represent the Holy Grail of innovation. But the development cycle for these types of problem-solving or mission-driven startups can be very long — it can typically take 10-15 years before they really gain traction — so they require a lot of patience and usually a lot of capital to really get off the ground.
While not vastly different from traditional B2B tech communications, deep tech businesses come with their own PR challenges. Whether your innovation is AI, quantum computing, biotech, blockchain, robotics, or something else entirely, here are four proven PR strategies for deep tech startups looking to communicate effectively with journalists, investors, customers, prospects, and other stakeholders.
Patience is a virtue, so long-term relationships are really important
A typical feature of deep tech startups is that they require significant levels of investment to have the opportunity to push the boundaries of existing technologies, with the understanding that ROI may take a long time to be realized and that some projects may prove commercially or scientifically unviable.
But traditional B2B technology companies tend to apply established engineering practices to address existing market needs and work with existing software frameworks to shorten the path to revenue.
From a communications perspective, this is an entirely different proposition: Deep Tech companies need to think about their narrative, messaging, thought leadership, and relationships with journalists and other stakeholders in terms of years, not months or weeks.
Building a profile with journalists and educating them on a particular idea or concept doesn't happen overnight. You need to be prepared to slowly work on building trust rather than necessarily relying on a constant stream of news. Sometimes less is more.
Have a clear, concise message that even moms can understand
Obscure, niche, esoteric language is not appropriate for media-facing content. As a rule of thumb, when putting together a pitch, press release, opinion piece, or anything aimed at journalists, always stop and ask yourself, “Would my mom understand this?”
As deep tech companies emerge from stealth mode, they may be well insulated from broader market competition because they are still based on nascent concepts, but this also means that it is even more important for them to be able to explain what they do in layman's terms.
Your overarching message should therefore very clearly cover what you do and what your overall vision is. Generic taglines should be avoided at all costs, as should phrases like next-generation, leading, best-in-class, etc. Your audience needs to understand your company's core message, which means avoiding language that is not inclusive and only thickens the veil over a specific industry. You need to tell a human story.
Articulate the value and impact of technology in different contexts
Yes, you want to avoid “inventor's syndrome” at all costs and make your message easy to understand, but at the same time, you also need to be creative and flexible when necessary to tailor your message to your audience at any given moment.
This means being able to explain the extent to which your technology can fundamentally change the status quo. What aspects of a particular field can it improve or revolutionize? How much time, money, etc. can it save or generate? These are clear points of progress that key stakeholders can understand. For investors, it can demonstrate the expansion potential of your business.
Yes, your mom needs to understand your message, but she also needs to be able to dig deeper from a scientific perspective when necessary.
Technical milestones should be the basis for external communication
While traditional B2B technology companies measure their early success or failure on metrics like customer acquisition and churn rates, deep tech companies are often judged on the technological milestones they achieve. Perhaps the most important metric of deep tech is its ability to innovate to advance humanity and shape the future.
Everything a deep tech startup communicates externally, outside of press releases and social media, should revolve around this. Key developments and breakthroughs should be showcased through owned, earned and paid content. This should be the basis for all of your communications.
Connor Mitchell is a communications consultant with Mitchell Communications.
