Founder guides

Plain-English guides for founders: how to find investors, pre-seed, seed and Series A funding, check sizes and the types of investors who back startups.

How to find investors for a startupWhere to find startup investors, how to build a target list that matches your stage and sector, and how to get in front of them with warm and cold outreach.
What is pre-seed funding?Pre-seed funding explained: what it pays for, who the pre-seed investors are, how pre-seed differs from seed, and how to raise your first round.
What is seed funding? How a seed round worksSeed funding explained: what a seed round is, who invests, typical round structure, what investors look for, and how to get seed funding for your startup.
Seed vs Series A funding: what's the difference?What Series A funding is, how it differs from a seed round in size, investors, valuation and milestones, and when a startup is ready to raise a Series A.
What is an investor's check size, and why it mattersWhat check size means in venture capital, how it relates to fund size and stage, the difference between check size and sweet spot, and how to use it to pick investors.
What is a family office, and do they invest in startups?What family offices are, the difference between single and multi-family offices, how they invest in startups, and how founders can approach them.