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Investors Relationship Management

The Deal Journey

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Contacting VCs is like B2B Sales, it's timed and goes through a specific process during which you've to find and convince your champion (the person who will advocate your deal within the investors team). In order to help this person to convince the team, you have to feed your champion with good enough content.

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Who is your champion ? Check out πŸ“–Good to know about VCs
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Want to know how to email VCs ? Check out How to Email VC resource

Structuration of fundraising

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Should I use a fundraiser ?

Pros

  • Know the market : who is looking for what, the good contact point ...
  • Help you to build a pitch in the market
  • Management of the fundraising process
  • Intimate relationship with VCs
  • Good at creating a FOMO effect

Cons

  • Expensive (average 5% of the fundraising)
  • Some VCs consider using a fundraiser is a bad sign
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How to assess your fundraiser ? Here are questions and guidelines to follow to assess your fundraiser : Key questions : What are the recent transactions ? | With whom ? Is it in the market ? To do : Interview other founders who used the service.

Prepare yourself

Step 1 : Ask yourself if you REALLY have a good reason to raise

Fundraising is highly time consuming and have an impact on your business. If you don’t have a good chance to succeed, it may finish in a disaster.

Step 2 : Build your fund wish list

As for B2B Sales, all VCs are not eating your sector / business model / ... Databases are really useful to identify which funds are interested by your business. Here are criterias you have to look to :

  1. Investment stage
  2. Industry focus Maybe fund-specific or investor specific within the VC fund
  3. Geographic areas of investment For example, some US VC wants to invest part of their funds in Europe.
  4. Previous notable investments It could be a good way to know more about the industries / businesses in which the team invest in. Also, it's good to know that a VC fund will NOT invest in a company too close to one of its portfolio companies in terms of value proposition.
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XAnge team maintains its own VC and investment banks data base > πŸ’‘XAnge Ultimate VC Database. Check it out !

Step 3 : Identify the right contact in each fund

Visit fund website and linkedIn to know the people and their track record.

Step 4 : Build a stunning pitch

Both your deck and pitch are key in your fundraising process. Nothing should be left to chance.

To help you build the most stunning pitch, we've something for you ! ➜

Step 5 : Build a robust financial model

To help you build the most robust financial model, check out our financial document templates we've made for you ! ➜

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Fundraising Tool box

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All Resources

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All Resources

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Investors Relations Management

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Pitching & Pitch Deck

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Step 6 : Run the show !

Follow contact points and conversion in a CRM funnel – You are in a funnel.

To help you following your contacts, check out the Log Fundraising template we've made for you ! ➜

How much time do you need to anticipate your fundraising? Find a great planning from YC here πŸ‘‰