Case Study: Pumpkinseed

Pumpkinseed is a Palo Alto-based deep tech startup founded out of Stanford by Prof. Jen Dionne, Dr. Jack Hu, and Dr. Nhat Vu. The company is developing a proprietary platform for direct protein sequencing — a technically formidable challenge that had eluded the field for decades. Despite compelling science, active partnerships, and a Series A on the horizon, the founding team struggled to articulate the full scope of what they were building and why it mattered beyond the lab.

A logo for Pumpkinseed with an orange square, a white diamond, a black dot, and a black triangle symbol, and the word "pumpkinseed" underneath.

Beakers & Chips began with in-depth insights sessions with the team and stakeholders, from which a single organizing idea emerged: Pumpkinseed isn't just a protein sequencing company — it's The Biology Mining Company. From that foundation, we developed a complete brand identity, positioning, messaging, website, Series A press and media strategy, partner and investor-facing content, and a strategy to introduce Pumpkinseed to partners, investors, and talent in a big way.

Laptop screen displaying a website for a biology mining company with orange bubble-like graphics in the background.
An orange background with white dotted pattern featuring a quote about proteome. Text states 'The proteome has always held the answers.' Below, black text mentions Pumpkinseed raising 20 million dollars to read the proteome. Pumpkinseed logo appears at the bottom right.
The image shows a vertical banner with an orange dotted background and the text "The Biology Mining Company" written in white. At the bottom, there is a logo with a black and white geometric shape and the text "pumpkinseedbio."
Website homepage for The Biology Mining Company showcasing DNA and molecular structures, with sections on applications and partnerships.
A woman with long blonde hair smiling outdoors in a casual outfit, wearing a navy blue top with small red dots and magenta skirt, standing with one hand on her hip amid a blurred background of a sunny street scene.

Dr. Jennifer Dionne, Pumpkinseed Co-Founder, Stanford Professor:

"At Pumpkinseed, we were so focused on the science that we struggled to articulate the full scope of what we were building. The challenge with a platform company is that the story can be expansive, and finding a clear and memorable through-line takes real work. Jack and Kevin didn't just help us find the words. They helped us find the frame. The 'Biology Mining Company' positioning emerged from their process, and it instantly clarified how we talk about our work to partners, investors, and the press. For any deep tech company trying to translate breakthrough science into a story the world can act on, Beakers & Chips is the team."