Approaching Investors Through Networking

LinkedIn isn't just for job hunting. It's a goldmine for startup founders looking to raise capital and connect with investors. Here are some tips for leveraging LinkedIn for fundraising: 1. Optimize your profile Make sure your profile screams "fundable founder." Highlight your achievements, your startup's traction (if applicable), and your vision. Use a professional headshot and craft a compelling headline. 2. Build a strategic network Connect with investors, other founders, and industry experts. Don't just add connections randomly - be thoughtful and engage with their content. 3. Share valuable content Post regularly about your industry, startup journey, and insights. This builds credibility and keeps you top-of-mind. 4. Use LinkedIn's search features Find investors interested in your space. Use filters like "Venture Capital" or "Angel Investor" combined with your industry keywords. 5. Engage before pitching Comment on investors' posts, share their content, and build a relationship before asking for a meeting. 6. Leverage mutual connections Ask for warm introductions from shared connections. People are more likely to respond to a referral. 7. Use LinkedIn InMail strategically When you do reach out, keep it concise and personalized. Show you've done your homework on the investor. 8. Join relevant groups Participate in discussions in startup and investing-focused groups. This can lead to valuable connections. 9. Utilize LinkedIn Events Host or participate in virtual events. It's a great way to showcase your expertise and meet potential investors. 10. Track your efforts Use LinkedIn's analytics to see who's viewing your profile and engaging with your content. This can give you insights into interested parties. Remember, fundraising is about relationships. Use LinkedIn as a tool to build genuine connections, not just as a pitch platform.

The best fundraising advice I’ve ever received: “𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺. 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘤𝘦.” Early in my career, I'd approach investors with the same mindset everyone else does. I quickly learned this direct approach wouldn’t secure the type of funding I wanted. So I shifted my strategy. Things began to change. Instead of asking for money, I’d ask for advice. I’d approach potential investors like this: “You know this space well. You've learned a lot investing in A, B, and C. Here's what we've done and where we are at. I want to get your feedback on whether you think we’re going in the right direction.” I wouldn’t even say I was fundraising. And it worked. A prime example was when we started Tuned. We were in the middle of a “crypto winter.” It was 2018. No one wanted to touch crypto. There we were, starting a crypto company at the worst possible time to fundraise. The solution? We kept building the company while adding investors to our monthly update list. By the time 2019 came around, crypto was starting to recover. The market was trying to get hot. That’s when we started getting more responses to our updates. “When are you thinking about your next round?” “Are you raising right now?” Next thing you know, we went from struggling to raise $500,000 to raising $7 million within 12 months. Credited to maintaining a deep monthly distribution list and building strong investor relations. This approach works because it: • Brings investors along for the journey • Shows that you value their experience, not just their money • Provide visibility in the team’s strategy and approach for feedback (good and bad) Ask for the right thing and you might just get more than you expected.

Helping founders with intros to investors is an essential part of our ecosystem but many people do it wrong. Here's a few of the best practices 👇 🔴 Worst: "Hey, I'm looking to raise, can you tell me who I should talk to and introduce me?" 💡 Everyone is busy, you need to do the work to build your list and identify which specific investors are a fit based on thesis, stage, prior investments or their vocalized interests. 🟡 Getting Better: "Hey, I've identified investor XYZ and see you're a mutual connection, can you introduce us?" 💡 At this point you're still asking the person to do the mental work of positioning your company. Each outreach should have a solid "Why" and you're putting that responsibility on the connecting party. Don't put the work onto the person you're already asking to make an intro. Once again, everyone is busy. Help me help you in less than 60 seconds. 🟢 Best: "Hey, I've identified investor XYZ at ABC Fund and see you're connected. I've sent a personalized and targeted intro request to your email, would it be possible to forward it to them?" 💡 This makes it super easy for anyone to pass along your note as well as give you a short and sincere endorsement in less than 60 seconds. This way you've done the work to position yourself and they can be a "trust broker" in helping make the connection. For my favorite template for a forwardable email, see the link in the comments 👇

Most searchers wait until they're under LOI to start talking to investors - DO NOT DO THIS. That's not fundraising. That’s panicking. Even thinking about raising millions of dollars in 90 days without a network or prior relationships gives me shivers. Easy way to set yourself up for failure. Leave you with a great deal on the table but no ability to close it without equity. Here’s a much better path… Searchers who have already built relationships with investors before an LOI close a higher % of deals than searchers who do not. Plain and simple. It’s always a green flag for us when someone is raising let’s say $2M, and they’ve already raised the first $500k - $1M. They walk into a deal with a ton of momentum, social proof, and support. Rather than trying to build it all from scratch when they should be doing due diligence. Another benefit is that having a wide selection of investors to choose from actually helps you grow the business faster than just taking people’s money because dollars is the only thing you’re focused on. 2 types of investors… a) some investors who you may not want to deal with, who are overburdensome and overinvolved b) some investors will have strong industry experience or relationships/partners who can give you an advantage you might otherwise not have if you’re just focused on raising a $ amount Having a strong network gives you a higher chance of finding type B investors and will help you avoid type A investors. My advice is to start building relationships 6 months before you need capital To do this, you have to start with a definition of your investor profile. Do you want passive checks or strategic partners? A few large investors or many small ones? Know who you’re trying to talk to so you can find the right person with a strong intention of why they should talk to you. Then, get on intro phone calls and then create consistent touchpoints. I follow several searchers who send monthly updates to their investor list. They share deals they're evaluating, why they passed on opportunities, market trends they're seeing. Investors loooove this. When you’re getting ready to raise, they will already understand how you think and make decisions. They’ll already know you, and you don’t actually have to manage 40+ investors 1:1… Just write the same email update to all of them Next step - get them involved in your process "Hey, I'm looking at this HVAC business but don't know much about commercial contracts. Can you give me some pointers? Suddenly they're not just a check writer — they're a thought partner. Most investors enjoy that role. And before you assume they’re onboard, you have to establish soft commitments early on. Ask about check sizes, deal criteria, decision timelines, etc. Nobody likes surprises, so get ahead of the ball and give them lots of heads up. If anyone has any other tips on building investor relationships, drop them in the comments

How to Network with VCs in Silicon Valley (from my personal experience) After attending 300+ events in the last 2 years, I’ve seen firsthand what actually works when building relationships with VCs in Silicon Valley. Here’s how to do it right: 1. Don’t pitch first – Leading with your deck is a mistake. Build a real connection before asking for anything. 2. Warm intros win – Cold outreach rarely works. Get introduced by someone they trust. 3. Be where VCs are – Industry events, private dinners, invite-only summits—real conversations happen in the right rooms. 4. Bring value – Share market insights, make relevant introductions, and be genuinely helpful. Relationships go both ways. 5. Play the long game – A “no” today doesn’t mean “never.” Keep them updated, stay relevant, and nurture the connection. Silicon Valley moves fast, but real relationships take time. Make them count. What’s been your best approach to networking with investors?

Most founders pitch investors wrong. Their success rate stays at zero. After years of helping startups with outbound strategies, I've noticed a clear pattern in what works for investor outreach - and what kills your chances. Here's the exact playbook I recommend to every founder: First, get your targeting right. Don't spray and pray. Focus on investors who've funded companies at your stage and in your space. Use Crunchbase Pro or LinkedIn Sales Navigator to build your list. Second, do the homework. Study their portfolio. Read their blog posts. Listen to their podcast appearances. This research is your secret weapon. Third, personalize at scale. Create a basic template but customize the first two lines for each investor (use AI for this). Reference their specific investments or thesis. Fourth, be persistent but professional. A good sequence: LinkedIn connection, two emails, and one video message. Space them 3-4 days apart. Remember: Investors fund lines, not dots. Start building relationships before you need the money.

Of the 87 VC meetings I had in 2022 for our pre-seed, 75 of them came by way of a warm introduction. Here's how you use your network to get warm introductions to the funds you want to meet with. Venture capital runs on warm introductions. It's one of the biggest reasons underrepresented founders struggle to raise VC - they either waste time sending cold emails or they don't know how to use their networks to get warm introductions. Don't underestimate your network! You'll be surprised at how many people want to see you win and are willing to support you. 𝟏. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 I've shared the how behind this before, but before you raise you should have a spreadsheet of 250-300 funds with the following information: 1. Name of fund 2. Website 3. Investor name(s) 4. Who can intro? Columns 1-3 should be populated for every fund and investor on your list 𝟐. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐈𝐧 Search each investor's name on LinkedIn and see who you're connected to that's a mutual connection. You only need to meet with ONE person from each fund, so if each fund has a team of 3 people, chances are that you have at least one mutual connection between the two of you. Ideally, this is a 1st level connection, but 2nd level is okay too. 𝟑. 𝐔𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐭 Once you find the mutual connection(s), add them to your spreadsheet in the "Who can intro?" column. 𝟒. 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤 Reach out to the mutual connections to ask them if they can introduce you to the investors. You can do this via email, text, or even DM; pick whatever channel you have the most direct line to the person in. When asking for an intro, be direct. A lot of people with connections to investors are used to getting requests for intros, so you don't need to warm them up or ask for a call before you ask for the intro (use your best judgment here, though; if you think a call would be good then go for it). To ask for an intro, send the mutual connection a forwardable email that they can pass along to the investor without having to make any edits. Include your company's one-liner, traction, and a link to your pitch deck in that email. 𝟓. 𝐑𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭 Run through 20-25 funds at a time, knowing that you'll get meetings with 25-30% of the funds you ask for intros to. You have people in your corner cheering you on. Let them help you by opening up their networks to you. I write to help underrepresented founders get funded in my weekly newsletter Finessing Funding. You can subscribe at the link in the comments 👇🏾 #fundraising #blackfounders #vc

For entrepreneurs, cold outreach to investors more often than not goes unnoticed. There is just so much competing noise and standing out is a challenge. Here's two tactics to try. Tactic 1: The Portfolio Connection. A common issue for many founders - "I don't know any investors personally." Here's the trick: Check out the founders of their portfolio companies. Know any? If so start there. Even if you don't I have found that founders are more likely to respond to a cold email from another founder than an investor. It takes an extra step but if you start to build a relationship with another founder they will often be willing to send a forwardable message to their investors for you. Entrepreneurs empathize with fellow entrepreneurs. And do you know what email an investor always reads? It's the one from a portfolio company—a founder I've invested in. Your email, channeled through a founder, guarantees it gets read. Plus, you tap into the added value of insights and advice on what intrigues that investor. Tactic 2: Precision in Cold Outreach. If you have exhausted all other avenues and have to go for cold outreach, specificity is key. Mass emails using generic templates? It's a recipe for invisibility. Specificity wins. Research meticulously. Craft a tailored email that showcases you've done your homework. "Hey Brett, I noticed your connection to University of Virginia. I'm an alum too. Let's connect!" Or highlight shared interests like investments in food tech. Showcasing your knowledge amplifies your chances of engagement. Tailored outreach signals you're not wasting their time. Your understanding of their interests hints at a potentially fruitful collaboration. While they don’t work every time, if you don’t have an obvious warm intro, these two tactics can help increase your odds of securing a meeting or response significantly rise. #foundertips #warmintros #coldemails

I've raised $15M in my career and the majority of it came from investors I had built relationships with years before I started a company this is the lie they tell you in fundraising - "it's a numbers game! you just gotta have a tight process" no! you just need to build authentic relationships. people invest in people they trust. and the closer the relationship, the more trust there is. the larger the investment (the one your lead investor makes) the more trust is required. your background, track record, and traction help, but relationships are where the real trust is built. fortunately building relationships is pretty straightforward these days. here's the playbook: - reply to investors on twitter/linkedin: when investors post, they want engagement. by engaging, you're doing them a solid right off the bat (especially if they don't have a ton of followers), which helps you a lot show up consistently in the comments with smart, positive stuff to say. investors will start recognizing you. recognition breeds trust. eventually, if an investor follows you, just shoot them a DM saying hi. don't ask for anything. - deliver value before asking for anything (goes without saying): for the investors you're building relationships with, figure out what they really want in life/work - usually, it's connections to great startups to invest in and support for their existing ones. if they have a newsletter, just respond to the newsletter, and give some thoughts on what they've written is incredibly valuable and beneficial. you can even send incredibly incredible candidates their way who could be a good fit for their companies. the move is to literally just deliver value to people before you ask them for anything. - send quarterly updates: most importantly, investors invest in lines, not dots. so you need to give investors snapshots of your business (growing and hitting big milestones) for them to want to invest in you. send them an email once a quarter with - what your company does (just to remind them) - a demo video - big wins from the last quarter - what's planned next (that you know you'll achieve) - asks and if you don't have a company, it doesn't mean you can't send quarterly updates. say you're a PM or a software engineer at some company - talk about stuff you've built, ideas you've had, things you've learned its beauty is that it forces you to actually go out and do shit. because at the end of the quarter, you're on the hook. I literally sent my quarterly update out to hundreds of potential investors. talked about all the exciting things we're working on, the big wins we've had, and some key asks in case they want to dive deeper. also threw in an invite to connect over a meeting or call -- the bottom line: all these things are creating opportunities for engagement you want to give them a reason to reach out and start a conversation. pro tip: get people's consent to be part of your quarterly update.

As a founder, would you ever send a deck with the first slide "I want to raise ₹____ funding"? I mean, we know the desired outcome is fundraising, but that's not how you'd start. So why would your Linkedin connect request be "I want to connect"? After yesterday's tips on optimising your Linkedin profile for fundraising, today, let's focus on how to optimise LinkedIn Connection Requests Each day, I'm left aghast with generic "I'd like to connect" requests. It's a MASSIVE missed opportunity. Instead, use this as an opportunity to tell me why you're connecting. Personalization is key. Some things I'd consider make for a strong investor connect request: Portfolio Company: "Hi [Person's Name], I'm a huge admirer of your investment in [Portfolio Company]. I'm building [Your Company], which addresses a similar challenge in the [Industry] market" Specific Focus: "Hi [VC Name], I was particularly impressed by your recent focus on [Sector]. I'm building [Your Startup] and believe my approach aligns with your investment thesis on [Specific Area]" Do you have a shared connection: "Hi [VC Name], [Mutual Connection] suggested I reach out as I'm building [Your Company] in the [Industry] space" After this intro, quickly include 1-liner impact message. Some stand-out metric or interesting customer insight. Remember, your connection request is your "social currency". Spend it wisely. That first reach-out message should usually get you a response. Show that you've got some value to give and have a genuine reason for connecting. Many of you must have got a "Send me more info over email at _____" from me? That's a sign of a good conversion. What will you add/remove from your on your LinkedIn connect messages? #Entrepreneurship #Startups #venturecapital #founders