Email Formats for Contacting Venture Firms

Everyone says recruiters are stupid. But this is what I get in my inbox: Example #1: "Hi there Kūl Team" Spelled my company wrong. First line. Example #2: "I'm a graphic designer seeking opportunities" I work with product designers & UXR only. It's all over my pages. Example #3: "hello lena hope this finds you well" Zero capitals. Zero attention to detail. Example #4: "Can you help me find a job with visa sponsorship?" I am not an employment agency. I do not look for roles for people. I hire for companies. Example #5: "Hi, What services do you offer?" This one is just a no for me. If this is the amount of effort you put into everything you do - we wont work well together. FACE IT: NO ONE HAS TIME FOR LOW-QUALITY MESSAGES I get 50+ messages weekly. Each one takes time to read. Bad ones waste everyone's time. LET'S FIX YOUR OUTREACH Bad: "Hi there Kūl Team" Better: "Hi Lena, I saw ku:l is working with Series B startups" Bad: "I'm a graphic designer" Better: "I'm a product designer with 5 years in fintech" Bad: "hello lena" Better: "Hi Lena" (yes, capitals matter) Bad: "Can you help me?" Better: "I saw you placed designers at [Company]. My experience in [relevant area] aligns with similar roles. Would you keep my portfolio for the future openings?" Bad: "What services do you offer?" Better: "I read that you help with portfolio reviews and job placement. Which would suit someone targeting staff-level roles? I stuggle with X and need help with Y." THE FORMULA IS SIMPLE 1. Spell my name/company correctly 2. Know what I actually do 3. Be specific about what you want 4. Show you did 2 minutes of research 5. Ask specific questions. That's it. YOUR MESSAGE COMPETES WITH 49 OTHERS Make it count. Make it relevant. Make it easy to say yes. You have limited time to get noticed. Be strategic with every word you send. P.S. Still sending "I'm interested"? The person who wrote "I saw your post about Series B hiring. Here is my work that showcases relevant experience" just got my attention.

I tested 4 cold email openers on 2,400 VCs. One got 3x more meetings. Here is the raw data: Most "cold email advice" is just opinions. I wanted something real, so I ran a controlled test using Evalyze data. Same audience (Angels + Pre-Seed VC Partners). Same startup profile and materials. Same time window. North America (SF, NYC) + Western Europe (London, Berlin). The only thing that changed was the subject/opening line. The 4 openers I tested: A) Professional Fan "Saw your investment in [Company]. Still bullish on [Topic]?" B) Traction Signal "Just hit [Metric] at [Company]. Still looking at new pre-seed deals?" C) Thesis Match "Saw your thesis on [Sub-sector]. Still looking for a solution to [Problem]?" D) Frictionless Inquiry "Saw your focus on [Sub-sector]. Still looking for new founders in that space?" Results (reply rate | meeting rate): A: 2.1% | 0.2% B: 4.8% | 1.1% C: 9.2% | 4.8% D: 14.6% | 6.5% ✅ Why D won: It doesn’t feel like a pitch. It’s a quick "are you active?" check that an investor can answer in seconds, even on mobile. 3 truths from the data: 1- Mobile-first is mandatory. 65%+ opens were on mobile. If your first line is longer than 2 lines, it loses. 2- Don’t attach decks early. Asking permission to send the deck got better engagement than dropping a PDF upfront. 3- Active-status questions get replies. It helps investors filter their own deal flow, so they respond faster. I'm curious what your current first line to investors is, and what reply rate you're getting? If you want to do this faster, Evalyze.ai helps you match with the right investors and outreach to them, and we added ready-to-use email templates in the Resources section. P.S.: I can share the full report if you're interested.

Your initial outreach email to VCs can make or break your fundraising efforts. Here's the cold, hard truth: most VCs receive hundreds of pitches daily. Your email needs to stand out. I've seen countless founders blow their chances with poorly crafted outreach. Don't be one of them. The key elements of a strong initial email: 1. Personalization: Show you've done your homework. Reference specific investments or content from the VC. Generic mass emails scream laziness. 2. Concise value proposition: Clearly articulate what problem you're solving and why your solution is unique. Do it in 2-3 sentences max. 3. Traction metrics (if applicable): VCs love numbers. Share key growth metrics, revenue figures, or user stats. Prove you're not just another idea. 4. Team highlights: Briefly showcase your team's expertise and track record. VCs invest in people as much as ideas. 5. Clear ask: What exactly do you want? A meeting? Advice? Be specific about your request and proposed next steps. 6. Brevity: Keep it under 200 words. VCs are busy. Respect their time. Remember, your goal isn't to close a deal in this email. It's to pique interest and secure that first meeting. Craft your email with care. Test different versions. Get feedback from mentors or fellow founders. A well-crafted initial outreach can be the difference between securing that crucial first meeting and your email languishing in a crowded inbox. Don't underestimate its importance. Your funding journey starts here.

Tired of getting blown off by VCs? Here's how I get them to respond: First off, know what you're up against... A VC's inbox? That's a war zone. How do I know? I've been a VC for 7 years. I get way more than 1,500 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬 a year. ...and I'm a 𝐧𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲. Most VCs have it worse. So you're never going to get 100% response rate. But these tactics can improve your odds. 👇 1️⃣ 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐤. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲. You have to tell them why they should open the email in the first place. That means you provide relevant context so they know you're a fit for their thesis. They need to know stage / raise amount, and industry. Bonus points if you can also add in one stat that will get them excited or share your traction. Try something like: 👉 Stripe $3.5M Seed (B2B fintech; $1.5M+ ARR) Don't get cute with the subject line. Don't say something like "Investment Presentation." Don't use buzzwords like "revolutionary." (I'm looking at you AI & crypto bros in the back. 👀) 2️⃣ 𝐊𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭. Remember, there are hundreds of other emails sitting there, waiting to be read. That means you have to make it quick and easy to get the relevant info. Your goal is a meeting, not an investment. Here's what your email should contain to help them decide on taking a meeting: → 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰: Why we reached out to them specifically. Immediately mention why we fit their strategy, an idea they shared on a podcast, etc. The goal here is sincerity. → 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘱 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴: Use this template: “I’m the founder of <<startup_name>>. We’re a <<business model / type>> that helps <<customer>> solve <<specific pain>> by using our <<product / feature>>.” → 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯: Use concrete metrics like revenue, user growth, customer names, or unit economics. The main categories are commercial / GTM, product, and team. Show a positive trajectory. Good example: “We hit $500k ARR in < 12 months, and now project $2M ARR by Q4 when we expect to land <<notable_customer>>.” Bad example: “We’ve seen a lot of interest since our launch.” → 𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵: Tie the ask to a specific milestone or growth strategy. Example: “We’re raising a $3M Seed to double down on our PLG strategy and hit 1,000 MAU. Want to grab a quick 30 min intro to discuss? Let me know when works and I’ll send an invite.” Use these tactics. Your cold email response rate will go up. 📈 —— Was this helpful? 👍 like and ♻️ repost it to help other founders!

The cold email system that books 22 VC meetings from 100 sends Last week we sent 427 emails to VCs. 89 responded. 22 booked meetings. That's a 20.8% response rate when the industry average is 3%. Here's exactly what we do differently: We don't send pitch decks. We send investor briefs. Most founders attach 20-slide decks. VCs don't open attachments from strangers. They scan emails for 37 seconds. Our emails? 4 paragraphs. 237 words. Zero attachments. The subject line formula that gets 68% open rates: "[Specific metric] + [timeframe] + [what you do in 5 words]" Real examples: "43% gross margins at $67K MRR, B2B logistics SaaS" "12-month runway, 2.3x LTV:CAC, developer tools" "Ex-Stripe team, 6 enterprise LOIs, API infrastructure" The 4-paragraph structure: Paragraph 1: The proof "Hi [Name], we help [customer] achieve [outcome]. We're at [revenue] growing [rate] with [metric]." Paragraph 2: The credibility "Team includes [background] with [expertise]. Backed by [investor] and [advisor]." Paragraph 3: The traction "Current metrics: [MRR] (up from [amount] in [timeframe]). [Efficiency metric]. [Runway]." Paragraph 4: The ask "Are you actively investing in [stage] [vertical] companies?" What most founders get wrong: They write novels. VCs get 200+ emails weekly. Brevity wins. They bury metrics. Numbers in sentence two, not paragraph four. They ask for meetings. We ask for interest. Meetings follow interest. They spray and pray. We send 80-100 targeted emails per week. The targeting strategy: Only email funds that: Invested in your vertical in last 12 months Have dry powder from current fund Made seed/Series A investments recently Have a partner who understands your space The follow-up sequence: Email 1: The brief (day 1) Email 2: New proof point (day 4) Email 3: Share specific win (day 10) Email 4: "Should I close your file?" (day 17) That fourth email? 31% response rate. Real results from last month: Client A: 94 emails → 19 responses → 5 meetings → 2 term sheets Client B: 112 emails → 23 responses → 7 meetings → 3 in diligence Client C: 87 emails → 17 responses → 4 meetings → 1 closed round Your pitch deck doesn't book meetings. Your process does. #Fundraising #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #ColdOutreach #FidelmanCo

“Raising cold doesn't work." It works. Your emails just get binned before investors open them. Here are 15 checkpoints for a cold email that gets opened by your dream investor: (Save this for later) 1️⃣ Avoid generic greetings, like "Hi there" or "Dear Sir/Madam". It's too generic and lazy. Find out who the spokesperson is. → Use the first name of your recipient e.g. "Hi John". 2️⃣ Don't call people Sir or Madam. It's stiff and outdated. In most cases it's perfectly fine to go by first name. → Use the first name, except with Dr titles (frequent in deeptech, biotech, medtech) 3️⃣ Don't apologize for sending an email. It's unnecessary and it weakens you before you've started. → Drop "I'm sorry to disturb you" and go straight to the point. 4️⃣ Don't outsource VC outreach. Investors invest in founders, not middlemen. → Especially at early-stage, the CEO should be sent from the CEO's email and signed by him/her. 5️⃣ Keep the email body under 1,000 characters. It's a universal rule: the longer the email, the less reply you get. → Cut everything until the body fits under 1,000 characters. 6️⃣ Don't ask if you can send your deck in the next email. The extra step just adds friction and delay. → Attach your pitch deck to begin with. 7️⃣ Don't add legal mentions to your company name like legal structure (Corp., SAS) or trademark (TM, ©). Tags like these make you read like paperwork, not a founder. → You are the CEO of LinkedIn, not LinkedIn Corp. or LinkedIn TM. 8️⃣ Use simple words when describing what your company does. Jargon makes investors work to understand you, and they won't. → "We are X helping Y in a Z way" - as short as possible. 9️⃣ Don't make vague statements like "the growth has been impressive" or "traction is encouraging". Vague claims read as hiding weak numbers. → Give numbers: "MRR has grown 25% MoM over the past 12 months". 🔟 Don't mention a 20x growth when you've just grown from 1 to 20 users. Investors won't be fooled and it's a sure way to lose your credibility. → Only frame growth in a way that holds up to a follow-up question. 1️⃣1️⃣ Never write long paragraphs. Walls of text get skimmed or skipped. → Write short paragraphs. 1️⃣2️⃣ Use bullet points. They let the VC quickly parse your email for the key points. → If you want to expand on 2-3 key points, put them in bullet points. 1️⃣3️⃣ Don't close with "I'd love to meet and exchange notes in the spirit of networking". A weak ask signals you don't believe in your own raise. → Try a confident close: "Looking forward to showing you how XXX will change YYY". 1️⃣4️⃣ Keep your signature short. A cluttered signature distracts from the message. → Cut the fax number and the five social accounts. 1️⃣5️⃣ Don't stuff the email with links and images. They distract the reader and trigger spam filters. → Keep it to 1 link (your pitch deck) and zero images. Get these 15 right and your reply rate takes care of itself.

📩 Ever Cringed at an “I Haven’t Heard Back” Email? Same.  Pro Tip: Skip the Guilt Trips; They Slash Meeting Odds by 14%. Email overload is real, and let's face it, not every message gets a reply. Here’s the ultimate cheat sheet I’ve put together for 𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙑𝘾𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙: 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗖: Insight is power. Understand the VC’s portfolio and interests. It's not just about who they are, but why they might care about what you're offering. 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: Your subject line is your first handshake. Remember, 70% of emails are marked as spam based on the subject line alone. 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵: "Dear Investor" is a no-go. Personalize it for a 30.5% better shot at a response. Get to the Point: Shorter emails (under 200 words) see a 40% higher response rate. 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽: In a sea where only 9% of cold emails get a response, don't be just another email. Be the unicorn they've been searching for. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Show how you align with their goals.. It’s not just 𝘸𝘩𝘺 𝘶𝘴, but 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙪𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗸: Easy access is key. 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗔𝘀𝗸:  What do you want? Feedback, a meeting, a referral? Specify it. It shows respect for their time and yours. 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴: Sign off professionally. It sets the tone for what's next. 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗧𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗢𝗻𝗰𝗲: Proofread. Typos kill credibility. Follow these best practices to make your email the highlight of their inbox ✨ 𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰? Share below! Found this helpful? Spread the word to your founder friends. 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙? Follow me for more! #Startups #Tech #Email #VentureCapital #Marketing Thanks to OpenVC and Streak for insights!

A startup founder reached out recently asking for funding. The email had no website link, a vague and very long email about the business, unclear on the ask, no deck and came in cold. This wasn't a good intro to the business and we passed. I like receiving cold emails from founders. One of the best parts of my job is reviewing the many emails I get weekly from founders and learning about their companies and determining if we can invest. However, there is a way to reach out to maximize your success of receiving a (positive) response. 1 - Always try to get an intro from a mutual contact, if one is available. 2 - Review their website and ensure you fit the firm's mandate. It's shocking how many people don't do this. 3 - Your email should be short but contain the following: 1 sentence on the problem being solved, 1 on the solution, 1 on the traction, 1 on the ask, and 1 on why you believe it's a fit. 4 - Include a short well designed deck (10-15 slides). Have a more comprehensive one ready if needed. 5 - Include a way to schedule a meeting. Either ask for their calendar link or include your own. Also, keep in mind the following: - A "no" is usually a no. Persistence is good, but don't try to convince someone they are wrong if they are telling you it's not a fit. - Avoid asking for intros to someone's network if you've never spoken with them. Making good intros is very time consuming. - After an investor "passes", don't ask for a call unless you truly just want advice/feedback. Personally, I have a policy of never saying "no" to a founder who just wants some advice so long as they understand that it won't lead to funding if we already concluded it's not a fit. - A "no" from a VC is often not a judgement on the founder or business. VCs doing their job will get hundreds of emails and we all use shortcuts to determine where to focus our time. Often, it may just be a bad fit. And, most importantly, don't be shy to reach out. A good VC wants to meet founders who fit their mandate. It's literally their job. PS. Meme is for jokes. Any entrepreneur looking for advice and believes I can help, is more than welcome to reach out and "simply get a meeting with me".

Here’s a "Cheat Sheet" to capture an investor's curiosity. Imagine your first contact with an investor as a skilfully crafted letter or email, streamlined and targeted, designed to grab attention and ignite interest: 1. 🎯 Address Specifically: Begin with a personalised greeting using the investor’s name, immediately establishing a direct and respectful connection. 2. 🪝 The Hook: Open with a compelling fact or statement about your company that aligns with the investor’s known interests or portfolio, such as a groundbreaking innovation or a significant market disruption. 3. 🏹 Conciseness: Use clear, jargon-free language. Structure your message with bullet points or short paragraphs to enhance readability. 4. 📈 Evidence of Success: Quickly introduce impressive metrics or milestones—like exponential user growth or revenue spikes—that speak volumes of your company’s potential. 5. 🔎 Clear Problem-Solution: Clearly outline the problem your product solves, followed by your unique solution that’s better than the competition, possibly supported by a simple graphic or chart. 6. 🌍 Market Potential: Provide a crisp, data-backed statement on the market size and your strategy to dominate this space. 7. 👩🏾🤝👨🏼 Team Snapshot: Include brief bios of key team members, focusing on credentials that build credibility and trust, such as notable past successes or industry expertise. 8. 🔭 Vision Concisely: Articulate your grand vision in a sentence or two, showcasing your ambition and the broader impact of your venture. 9. 🙋🏽♀️ Specific Request: Conclude with a specific call to action, like requesting a meeting or call, and suggest exact timings to show initiative. 10. 🗓️ Follow-Up Mention: Close by mentioning your follow-up plans, setting the stage for ongoing communication, showing persistence and keen interest. This layout ensures every element of your message is potent and purposeful, designed to make a memorable first impression and ensure you get that response or 1st meeting booked 👊 #RAISE #investor #fundraise