Art of VC Fundraising

Founders - raising VC money for your startup? **This account exists to demystify the process of raising from VCs** Our goal is to GET YOU FUNDED OR CLOSER TO IT. Insights and tips from founders and investors who have deployed/raised $700MM+ over the last 5+ years.

Undervalued: - send a product demo link with your deck - add recorded sales calls in your data room if positive Make it EASIER for investors to get excited about how great you’re building / selling

Finding a founder who is one or two rounds ahead of you, and has just closed a round is the biggest cheat code in raising money. You’re not supposed to have done this before. Find people who have and get them involved. Founders love helping other founders. #payitforward

New week, new chance to make that call, close that hire/sale, ship that feature, raise that $$. You got this.

1/ When VCs say that they invest in early-stage companies, go deeper. Early-stage can mean 1 or all 👇 - Pre-seed (literally nothing) - Seed (literally nothing to maybe an MVP live with rev/users) - Series A (literally nothing to maybe millions in revenue with live product)

Want a detailed list of 2000+ VCs, categorized by fund stage, geo, and industry focus, including emails (as available)? 1. Like and Retweet 2. Comment "Send" 3. Follow and DM "Send" Let's get you funded! #startups #founder #fundraising #VentureCapital #VC #founders #startup

What is the best piece of startup/investor content you read, watched, listened to this week?

🔥🚀 Top 5 lessons for founders navigating today's VC fundraising market! 💸💼 1️⃣ Be prepared - do your homework 📚 2️⃣ Build a rockstar team - strong talent wins 🌟 3️⃣ Tell a compelling story 📖 4️⃣ Network, network, network - connections matter 🔗 5️⃣ Stay agile, adapt, grow 🌱

Founders - if you’re finishing the week today, finish strong.

Dilution % to expect when raising VC by round: Pre-seed - 20-25% Seed - 20-25% Series A - 20-25% Series B - 15-20% Series C - 10-15% Series D and beyond - 5-10% *assumes a deal with positive metrics and story going into the fundraise. These can flex ☝️👇 on a # of factors. #VC

We've pulled a list of the top 100 VC investors by industry over the last 4 years for Seed and Series A. Let’s get your fundraise started on the right path. I'll send to you. 1. Like and Retweet 2. Comment “Send” 3. Follow, so I can keep providing the support you need #VC

Great VC List Resources: ramp.com/investor-datab… openvc.app mercury.com/investor-db angels.firstround.com/directory signal.nfx.com visible.vc @tryramp @mercury @OpenVC_ @NFX @firstround @VisibleVC

During fundraising, if you have a great story, you will get investors to invest. All private fundraising is at least 50% story. Even founders who IPO - public roadshow is at least 50% story. The audience changes, the skillset necessary doesn't - STORYTELLING

Day off, unplugged Casual morning, few hours of work in the afternoon Half day on/off + preparing for the week ahead (morning/noon/night) What's your Sunday routine?

Want to start a VC-backed company, get $1-5m in VC funding and only talk to 1 fund? Let’s talk about EIR (entrepreneur-in-residence) programs - what they are and what to watch out for 🧵👇

Fundraising takes TIME: - 30 days to prep for a fundraise (min) - 30-90 days to get a lead TS (avg) - 30 days to close and receive wire (avg) 3 months min - 4-6 months more realistic start to finish. Plan accordingly with burn and timing. #VC #founder #startups #founders

It's never easy, even if you've been a VC yourself. Content like this helps founders get ahead.

On the other side, a lower valuation means you can get the money faster, but it also means you have less runway to work with. Our advice: Don’t spend time on valuation. Focus on getting the money you need, and doing so quickly.

Wrong: focusing on why your competition is terrible / stupid Right: why your company is unique/better than competitors, and what your competition may be doing that's right

A difficult fundraising environment is an opportunity to refocus. “How could we go farther with less?” “What is not critical to our #1 goal that is taking our attention?” This time can be thought of a a gift / chance to reinvent if used properly. You got this. 🚀 #VC

Your team matters, especially at the earliest stages. - Pedigree (unfortunately) - Track record of success / prior exp. - Known Capabilities Advisors, contractors don't make your company "more attractive" if you don't have the core team that can do what you need. #VC #founders