Fundraising Techniques For Startups

I’ve had over 120 meetings with VCs since starting my company. If I were a first-time founder heading into my first VC meeting, here’s exactly how I’d run the call. Remember, your goal isn’t to get a check on the spot. Your ONLY goal is to earn a second meeting. BEFORE THE MEETING 1. Share your pitch deck with the investor as early as possible. 2. Read the fund’s website. Look for check size, stage, and past investments 3. Research the investor to find overlap: alma mater, mutual connections, hometown — something personal 4. Write down a 60-second version of your pitch that covers the problem, solution, market size, and your ask (how much you’re raising) 5. Go to ChatGPT and upload your pitch deck. Ask it to act as a seasoned VC with 20 years experience and draft a list of questions about your company 6. Copy that list of questions and write responses to each in a document 7. (Optional) Send the responses to ChatGPT for one round of follow-up questions to cover any gaps you might have missed 8. Join the call 2–3 minutes early and set up a split screen with your video on one side and the document from step 6 on the other DURING THE MEETING 1. Start with small talk (2–3 mins), and try to loop in anything you found in step 3 2. IMPORTANT: Ask the investor “I shared the deck ahead of this call; would you rather I go through the deck, or do you prefer just to ask questions?” This helps you: 1. know if the investor has read your deck ahead of the meeting (showing genuine interest), and 2. demonstrate confidence. 3. If they say deck, walk through it in under 10 minutes 4. If they say questions, start with your 60-second elevator pitch and then open the convo for their questions 5. During the conversation, refer to the document you made in step 6 if you need to 6. With 3-5 minutes left, ask the investor questions. Three simple questions to ask: - “Do you typically lead rounds?” - “What’s your check size and typical process?” - “What would you need to see to be excited about leading this?” 7. Confirm next steps before ending the call. Ask when you should follow up. AFTER THE MEETING 1. Send a follow-up email within 1 hour (ideally, you have this drafted already) that includes a thank you, data room link, and any additional details you said you would share 2. Update your investor CRM 3. Set a calendar reminder to follow up in 3–5 days if you haven’t heard back 4. Repeat at step 1 for the next meeting Congratulations! You just ran your first VC meeting like a pro. Only 60-100 more meetings to go 😅 - - - Most founders focus on *what* to say. The best founders focus on *how* they show up. That’s how you earn the next meeting. I detailed this whole process in my free CREAM eBook. It’s a 62-page guide that helps first-time founders close their first $1M. Download it by clicking the Visit my store button at the top of this post!

𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧/𝙁𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙞𝙩? 👇🏽 I spent the weekend reflecting on my own experience, first working with investors as a founder and now engaging with founders as an investor. Hopefully, these thoughts will help you do due diligence on your potential investors. Choosing investors is as important as choosing your co-founders. In the early stages, you’ll be spending a lot of time with them, so you need an ally. Founder–funder disputes are common, but divorce is painful in startups. Never prioritise money; always aim for partnership, conviction, and alignment. Here’s a framework I follow when we invest: 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙋𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙮 Understand how the investor defines success and where your company fits within their strategy. This shows whether they’re patient capital or chasing quick returns, and how much conviction they’ll have when things get tough. It’s about seeing if your long-term view aligns with theirs. 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣-𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 You need clarity on how decisions are made, by whom, and how fast. Some funds have deep investment committees, others move on instinct. Knowing this helps you plan your fundraising timeline and avoid surprises. 𝙋𝙤𝙨𝙩-𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙄𝙣𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 Money is easy; partnership isn’t. You need to know whether they’ll be active mentors, passive supporters, or micromanagers. Their level of involvement should match what you actually want, not what they assume you need. 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨 How investors behave during hard times matters more than when things go well. Ask questions that reveal how they handle conflict, underperformance, or pivots. It shows whether they treat founders as partners or portfolio assets. 𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 Follow-on strategy and signalling risk can make or break future rounds. Understand how much they can or will support you if things go sideways or skyrocket, and how they behave when they choose not to reinvest. 𝘼𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙑𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 You’re not looking for validation; you’re checking whether they truly understand what you’re building and why it matters. Alignment ensures they’ll have conviction through market cycles and won’t push you towards short-term outcomes. 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 Strong relationships rely on clear communication. Learn their preferred style, whether structured updates or informal check-ins, and how they react to bad news. Set expectations early for honesty on both sides. 𝙍𝙚𝙥𝙪𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙞𝙩 Every investor has a reputation among founders and other VCs. Do your backchannel checks. How they handle board tension, layoffs, or exits reveals their true character. You’re assessing fit as much as credibility. I hope this is helpful. If you have any questions or clarifications, comment below. #gew #investors #founders

The Pitch Deck Paradox Why Perfect Slides Don't Get Funded I've seen hundreds of founders spend weeks perfecting their pitch decks, obsessing over fonts, colors, and animations, only to watch investors zone out after the third slide. Here's the uncomfortable truth: Perfect slides don't get funded. Compelling stories do!!! Your deck isn't a design project. It's a STORYTELING tool. Investors see hundreds of decks. They're not looking for flawless design, they're looking for: → A narrative that makes sense → A vision that feels inevitable → A founder who can articulate both with clarity Think of your pitch in 3 acts: 1. The Problem: Make them feel the pain 2. The Solution: Show why you're the answer 3. The Future: Paint the vision Stop chasing perfection. Start clarifying your story. What's the one story you need your audience to remember? #Founders #Startups #Fundraising #PitchDeck #VentureCapital #ExitClub

Founders always ask us how to optimise a seed fundraising deck. Here’s what our internal dataset of ~7,000 decks showed: - Why now? References to recent industry shifts were a good predictor of success. - Longer decks aren't better. There was no correlation between the length of the deck and the chances of raising. Ditch the appendix. - Demonstrate clear value-add. Decks explicitly highlighting time savings or cost savings were considerably more likely to raise. - Get into the numbers. A breakdown of unit economics was also a good predictor of fundraising success. And decks that discussed pricing strategy were 30% more likely to raise. - Figure out your runway. Decks showing runway calculations had a significantly higher chance of raising. - Don’t sell tax benefits. Decks mentioning these (ie SEIS/EIS in the UK) consistently found it harder to raise. We extended this to create 36 proprietary 'sub-scores' related to the presence or absence of key items in a given deck. These were combined to give each deck an overall quality score. Across 7000 historical decks, companies with the highest score (20+) were almost 15x more likely to raise as companies with the lowest score (<0). If there is enough interest from the community, we will release this model as an open-source tool that founders can use to optimise their deck.

During my career, I’ve secured tens of millions in funding. But looking back there are some things I wish I’d known before I started. Here are four tips I’ve learned the hard way about approaching potential investors with your business idea: 1️⃣ Know your numbers inside out Investors want to see not just passion but also a deep understanding of your business model. It doesn’t matter if you’re not a “numbers person”. Frankly neither am I. I just work hard to master them. Be prepared to discuss your financials in detail: multi-year revenue projections, cost of sales, fixed expenses, and break-even points. Comfort with your numbers demonstrates that you’ve done your homework and are serious about your venture. 2️⃣ Tailor your pitch to the specific investor Not all investors are created equal. Research who you're pitching to and adjust your message accordingly. What do they value? What sectors do they invest in? Who else have they backed and why? Use part of your pitch meeting to ask them about their history and motivations. This is absolutely not about changing your business plan or finances, but thinking about what you emphasise to align your narrative with their interests. 3️⃣ Have a clear exit strategy Investors will back enterprises for all sorts of reasons: a passion for the sector, enthusiasm for the founder, or market potential. But the number one reason they’ll back you is to yield an attractive rate of return. Be ready to discuss how and when they’ll make money from investing in you. Whether it’s through acquisition, IPO, or another exit strategy, showing that you have a plan to return a multiple of their initial investment will instil confidence. It’s not just about the immediate future; it’s about how you envision the long-term growth of your business. 4️⃣ Practice your storytelling People connect with stories, not just facts and data - important as those are. Use storytelling to convey your vision, the problem your business solves, and why you’re the right person to tackle it. A compelling narrative that links to the forecast performance of your business will engage investors emotionally, making them more likely to remember you and your pitch long after the meeting is over. What’s your experience of pitching for funding? What are you still wary of with investors? Share your tips or questions in the comments below!

One of the biggest mistakes I see founders make? They only start talking to investors when it's time to raise. By then, you're asking someone to make one of the biggest decisions they'll make that year based on a handful of meetings. Relationships don't work like that. Neither does fundraising. The most successful founders I know build investor relationships long before they open a round. - By sharing their progress - Asking thoughtful questions - Staying in touch - Building trust before they need capital Yes, the deck matters. And so do the numbers. But trust is built long before either of them. So founders, ask yourself this: Are you introducing yourself when you're raising, or continuing a relationship you've been building for months? If the first time an investor hears from you is when you're raising, you've left it too late.

Information overload is killing your Fundraising chances I've built and reviewed 1000+ investor pitch decks over the years, and there's one mistake I see repeatedly. Too. Much. Information. Your deck isn't a comprehensive business plan. It's a conversation starter. Here's what investors need: -Problem that resonates emotionally -Solution they can grasp in 10 seconds -Market size that excites them -Team slide that builds confidence -Clear ask with compelling returns The rest? Save it for follow-up meetings. One founder I worked with had a 42-slide deck filled with technical specs, market analyses, and five-year projections down to the penny. We cut it to 12 focused slides. Result? 3 investor meetings in just 8 weeks. When you overwhelm investors with data, you're showing insecurity about your business. Strong ideas need simple explanations. What's the biggest challenge you face when creating your pitch deck?

One of my clients gets 1-2 investor inbounds every month. Not from cold emails. Not from pitch decks. From LinkedIn posts. Most Series A founders pitch investors 1:1 and wait for 199 'nos' before they get a 'yes'. But there's a faster way. Educate investors at scale through content so when you do reach out, they already know who you are, what you're building, and why it matters. I've written 550+ LinkedIn posts for climate founders raising capital. The ones that generate investor attention aren't the "vulnerable" Crying CEO posts. They're story-driven posts weaved with actionable insights, proof of progress, and direct answers to questions investors are already asking. Here's how to do it: 1/ Don't just celebrate milestone. Show traction. Don't post: "So excited to announce we hit 10,000 users! 🎉" Post: • The specific problem those 10,000 users were trying to solve • How fast you got there (6 months vs. 2 years matters) • What you learned that changed your product roadmap Investors care about your ability to learn fast and iterate. Show them you're paying attention to the right signals. 2/ Take a public stance on where your industry is heading. Most founders play it safe. They share news and add a generic "exciting times ahead" take. That's not thought leadership. That's commentary. Instead, show how you think about your market. What's everyone getting wrong? Where will regulation force the next wave of innovation? Pick one POV per post, explain your reasoning, and back it with data or first-hand experience. Investors follow founders who see around corners. 3/ Spotlight your team in a way that shows why they're invaluable. Don't post: "Thrilled to welcome Sarah to the team! She's amazing." Do post: • Why you hired Sarah now (what gap did she fill?) • The specific problem she'll solve in the next 90 days • What her track record signals (ex-Tesla, scaled X from 0 to $10M) When you spotlight a hire, you're saying: "Look at the caliber of people betting on us." 4/ Share takeaways from the rooms you're in without name-dropping. Meeting takeaways show you're having the right conversations with customers, partners, advisors, and other founders. Format: "Had a conversation this week with a [CFO at a Fortune 500] about [their biggest procurement challenge]. Here's what I learned..." Then share 2-3 takeaways that show you're absorbing information investors care about. — One of my clients? Their posts reach ~1,200 VCs per month. Another gets 1-2 investor DMs and connection requests monthly without cold outreach. They're not posting about struggles or origin stories. They're posting proof they understand their market, execute fast, and think like Series B-worthy founders. That's what gets you in the room. — What story angles tend to work best for you with investors?

Cold email is dead (not hyperbole). But 99% of GPs haven’t figured this out yet. Here’s what the 1% who have are doing instead (and why they’re raising more capital): Just got back from the iREOC Annual Members’ Meeting in Austin (huge kudos Chase McWhorter, CRE®, it was awesome). I heard a mid-market asset manager say something that captured the mood of the entire room: “Our biggest challenge isn’t performance. It’s getting our story in front of the right investors in a world where nobody answers cold emails anymore.” Every operating company nodded. Every investment manager agreed. And the question kept coming up again and again: “If email is broken, how do we actually connect with you?” AI has flooded inboxes. Investors can smell automation. Personalization at scale has become noise at scale. Here’s the reality: The GPs who will raise capital in the next cycle are the ones who build a brand, not send more emails. Not a Fortune-500 brand. But instead: • A platform brand • A point-of-view brand • A thought-leadership brand Because in a crowded market, capital now flows to the managers who communicate clearly, teach generously, and show investors how they think before asking for a meeting. Here’s the playbook to create a brand based on what LPs actually want to see: 1/ Share your thinking, not your pitch: • How you underwrite • How you operate • How you see the market If you’re not creating investor-facing education today, you’re invisible. 2/ Build a clear, unique narrative: Before posting, ask yourself: • What do you believe about the market that others don’t? • Why will your strategy win in this cycle? • What makes your platform distinct? Your “why now + why us” should be obvious before anyone even takes a call. 3/ Show proof of work: Document and share everything in real time: • Track record • 1-2 page project snapshots • Short videos explaining real decisions you made Investors trust operators who show how they think. 4/ Use channels investors actually consume: • LinkedIn • Webinars • Micro-whitepapers • Podcasts • Short educational videos LPs are learning in public. You need to meet them there. 5/ Don’t outsource your voice: AI can help, but it can’t be your POV. LPs want to hear your judgment, your frameworks, your philosophy. So if you’re a GP in 2025, investor marketing isn’t about sending more outreach. It’s about becoming discoverable. Cold email used to be a shortcut. Now your brand is the filter that tells investors you’re worth engaging. And the GPs who educate, differentiate, and communicate with clarity? They’re going to raise capital faster than the ones who keep waiting for replies that aren’t coming.

Your gala just ended. You raised $125K. Everyone's exhausted. So you send a thank you email with photos. Just like every other nonprofit. And just like every other nonprofit, you watch those attendees disappear until next year's event. Here's what actually works: Your guests don't need another generic thank you. They need to see what their money did. The nonprofits converting event attendees into year-round donors follow a 10-day impact workflow: Day 1: Text thank you (personal, brief, sets the tone) Day 2: Email with photos and a single impact metric ("Your $50K will provide 200 families with...") Day 5: Impact story (one beneficiary, real name, what changed because of Saturday night) Day 7: Second impact story (different angle, reinforces the mission) Day 10: The ask (specific, tied directly to the stories they just read) But here's the part most people miss: not everyone gets the same sequence. Who bid? Who bought raffle tickets? Who was a first time attendee? Use that data to trigger different follow-ups: Bidders get a call from your ED before the email sequence even starts. Raffle participants get SMS nudges on Day 8 ("You bought raffle tickets. Would you consider a monthly gift of $20?") First-time guests get a longer nurture sequence focused on education, not asks. The workflow isn't complicated. But it requires two things most nonprofits skip: reviewing your event data and planning the sequence before the event ends. Stop treating your gala like the finish line. It's lead gen. And the real fundraising starts the moment your guests leave.