Series A Funding: How to Attract Strong Investor Interest

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1. Figure out where they’re speaking and approach them with a thought-provoking question. “Find mutual LinkedIn connections.” Or, in the case of Underscore, find a connection through the Underscore Core.

   In Founder network outreach

2. → Read our full guide tobuilding relationships with investors. “Throughout this outreach, don’t forget to bring your existing investors along with you.” Series A Milestones: What are VCs Looking For?

   In Founder network outreach

3. All that aside, the evolution of these values highlights another point. Building a business can’t be broken down into neat stages. Instead, think of it as a vector. You start somewhere, head in a general direction, and build momentum as you grow. “Instead, outline milestones and estimate how much it’ll take to get from one to the next.” How Long Does it Take to Raise a Series A?

   In Funding and financial signals

4. Think through: “What does a single customer look like?” What is your value to them, and how much are they willing to pay?

   In Ideal customer profile

5. Is this revenue stream aligned with customer needs and interests? “Can you align partners with your revenue streams? If you don’t supply what your customer needs, find partners who can. They’ll help you get to market as a multiplier (a win-win).” Milestones and Metrics

   In Partnerships

6. The investor’s co-investors: Do your current investors have a connection? “Your CEO or founder networks: Have they pitched this investor in the past, and did they maintain their relationship?” Your peer network: Do you know anyone with a past work or alumni connection to this investor?

   In Selecting introduction sources

7. Your CEO or founder networks: Have they pitched this investor in the past, and did they maintain their relationship? “Your peer network: Do you know anyone with a past work or alumni connection to this investor?” Startup Secret: To ensure the introduction gets the right attention, make sure your connection pre-warns the investor, so they know it’s coming before it arrives in their inbox.

   In Selecting introduction sources

8. Then you can think through $$$. Many of the basic principles of financial planning and forecasting are relevant here, but you don’t need to be a CFO to build out a smart plan. “But from what you do know, what will be your key driver of growth? Will you need to out-build or out-sell a competitor? Think about your end goal.” Outline key milestones. Think back to the milestones you’ve outlined above. If you know what you need to do, then it becomes easy to plan your resources accordingly.

   In Strategy