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Making the Most of €100-million Funding Round

Objective

HKA was tasked with securing key exposure in top-tier business/financial media in North America as well as globally for Pasqal, the Paris-based quantum tech company announcing Series B funding.

Challenge​

The €100 million funding announcement was significant, yet we had to overcome several challenges to achieving coverage:

  • No North American investors were part of the funding round.
  • The lead investor declined to be quoted or interviewed.
  • The press release went through legal and financial advisors for 8 investors, resulting in conflicting requests. Ultimately, our embargoed pitching window was less than 5 days. Certain key outlets require longer lead times.

Strategy & Tactics

Because U.S. media prefer funding stories with U.S.-based investors,  we maximized other attributes, making the story difficult to ignore:

  • We emphasized Pasqal co-founder Alain Aspect, Nobel Prize winner last October, highlighting the significance of Pasqal’s development and relevance to all audiences, including N. America.
  • Because HKA maintains keen awareness of developments in the global quantum ecosystem, including funding announcements, we knew €100 million was one of the largest quantum funding rounds ever in Europe and one of the largest globally in the past year.
  • We communicated real-world value and applications, citing recently announced partnerships with leading global enterprises: BMW, BASF, Aramco and Credit Agricole CIB.
  • We pre-pitched key outlets, enabling interviews and further research for interested reporters.
  • We counseled to ensure the CEO was available for all interviews with key outlets and prepared him with data on each reporter and outlet, plus key messages.

Results

  • HKA secured 265 articles and 11 interviews for PASQAL’s CEO, including TechCrunch, Forbes and Financial times, with the news reaching 20+ countries.
  • HKA generated both widespread and targeted coverage. Key U.S. outlets included Wall Street Journal Pro VC, TechCrunch, Reuters, Forbes and Fortune, plus Financial Times and EE Times.
  • Coverage solidified Pasqal’s status as a major player in the global quantum ecosystem; stories post-announcement cite Pasqal as a leading company in the world of quantum.

Key Best Practices for Quantum PR & Marketing

  • Provide rules in advance for partner input on announcements.
  • Validate the science even in financial releases.
  • Use funding announcements to emphasize why investors are bullish.
  • To secure top-tier media interest, follow media’s requirements and no one else’s.