Fundraising Playbooks

Save The Date: a brand new, all new Fundraising Playbooks Masterclass on getting Warm Investor Intros just dropped 🫳🎤 On 21st Jan 2025, Eva will share all her insider tips and step-by-step playbooks on how to bypass gatekeepers, secure introductions, and set the dominoes in motion to land meetings with top-tier investors—even if you don’t have a network yet. Find the link to sign up in Comments. #startupevents #fundraisingplaybooks #capitalraising

I research dozens of VCs and their investment strategies (been called a “Wikipedia on Investors” 😉); this is 1 trend I see emerging in how investors source & find the startups to invest in: Many of the successful VC funds started an accelerator/ incubator/ venture studio arm attached to them. 🔸 a16z operates ‘a16z Talent’ accelerator program. 🔸 500 Startups has the 500 Startups Accelerator. 🔸 Seedcamp runs Seedcamp Accelerator. 🔸 Plug and Play runs programs across multiple sectors. 🔸 SOSV is a VC firm that operates a network of accelerators. In the current VC model, making one single bet out of thousands in hope it will generate substantial returns for the Fund seems almost impossible. In that, early stage venture building programs can be indispensable in allowing the investors to make more informed bets. If you’re raising for the 1st time - this might mean attending a startup program alongside of it! #fundraisingplaybooks #capitalraising #startupfunding

During Slush, I speed walked & talked with 40 investors to ask questions on Cold Outreach & Cold Emails 🧊 This is what they told me: #fundraisingplaybooks #capitalraising #startupfunding #coldemail

VCs spend 2 min per deck on average, but 5 min on a great deck. Cold emails don't get funded on average, but a great cold email does. Conclusion: don't be average in a business of outliers. #startup #venturecapital #funding

I spoke to close to 700 investors in the last 6 years. To each next, I asked better questions than the previous one. This is the insider knowledge you need to raise startup capital: 👇 💸 VCs expect most of their investments to fail; they rely on a few “home runs” to deliver the majority of returns. For many, SOM of at least $100m is a must, and for many others, even that is tiny.    𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒚 → if you bump into a VC at an event, use this time to chat informally about their preferences (ask questions such as: “Who’s your favourite amongst the Portfolio?” + “…how so? What do you like about them?”, or “How is the fund doing?” + “...what kind of returns you’d be seeking as minimum when you invest?” 🌱 Each VC fund has a lifecycle (often 10 years), with specific periods for deploying capital. Understanding where a fund is in its cycle can help you target active investors more likely to invest in your startup. 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒚 → use platforms such as shipshape.vc to check when the Fund last raised and when they last deployed capital. Ask the investor questions such as “So whereabouts are you in the fund currently? All deployed?” e.g. in 10 year fund, first 5 years could be devoted to making new investments and last 5 to following-on only (re-investing in current Portfolio) ⏱️ Investors invest when they perceive optimal timing—whether due to market conditions, competitive positioning, or company traction. Demonstrating why now is the right time for your business is key, and this is where various playbooks for creating urgency come in. 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒈𝒚 → ask investors better questions that uncover their investing style and decision-making process: “if you had to invest this month in a startup, which one would you invest in”? + “…how come them?” #fundraisingplaybooks #capitalraising #startupfunding

The startup journey is full of firsts, and fundraising has been one of my most significant learning experiences at CorkVision. What began as a venture with zero VC connections has evolved into meaningful conversations with leading investors in the wine tech space. I owe much of this transformation to Eva Dobrzanska, whose masterful approach to storytelling and relationship-building has been invaluable. Her guidance has opened doors I never thought possible, teaching me that successful fundraising is as much about authentic connections as it is about metrics. 🎓 Excited to share that Eva has just launched her Masterclass on Warm Investor Intros! If you're on your own fundraising journey, this is an opportunity to learn from one of the best in the business. The new Masterclass on Warm Investor Intros just dropped. 🫳🎤Sign up for an insider tips-packed session on how to secure introductions and set the dominoes in motion to land meetings with top-tier investors. Skip buying your $4.99 coffee. This will energize you more: https://lu.ma/g15nsyj6 ⚡️⚡️ #StartupLife #VentureCapital #Networking #Fundraising #WineTech #B2BSaaS #StartupFounder #WineIndustry #AI #TechStartups

10 years ago I arrived to UK all alone. No parent, no family friend, no distant cousin, nothing. A blank slate. Looking at the 41k+ people I am connected to & 700 investors met face to face, it goes to show that: 1️⃣ You can reach ANY investor, anywhere, at any point. 2️⃣ Networking is a game of dominoes. It all starts with the 1st chat. Sometimes it might not lead anywhere, but other times, you do not know what ripples you create. 3️⃣ Overnight success is 10 years in the making and sometimes there are no shortcuts. I had to earn my way in everywhere for the first 6 years. In the next 2, I got some introductions and help. Only in the last 2, I started to receive opportunities inbound. 4️⃣ ALWAYS go for the corner table seat at Investor Dinners. You can participate in the conversation to your left (2 people) and to your right (2 people) rather just 1 person (to your left) and 1 person (to your right) when sitting alongside the long edge… #fundraisingplaybooks 😉 5️⃣ Lack of focus will kill you sooner than your competition ever will. 6️⃣ Monitoring the quality of the business partnerships you form (and employment you enter...) is key. That includes a check on their reputation. 7️⃣ Paying it forward and giving favors is good, but only if you know how to ask for a favor in return. 8️⃣ I cannot count how many times I met someone at an event who said, “Oh, I saw your post on LinkedIn”. Online presence is a form of unfair advantage. It might not seem fair or feel challenging, but we’re weeks away from 2025 and that’s the name of the game (and there are Fundraising Playbooks to play it right) #startupadvice #capitalraising #startups

Raising capital can feel like a rigged game. Like trying to get into a high-end private society. Only 1% of startups get funded. It's not fair, but if that’s the cards we’ve been dealt, there are Fundraising Playbooks to play them right: 👇 It’s the art of winning an unfair game 🎲 I spoke with close to 600 investors (VCs, Angels, Family Offices, cVCs) in the last 4 years and will be sharing my insider tips on how to:   - bypass gatekeepers,  - secure investor intros, - set the dominoes in motion to land meetings with top-tier investors—even if you don’t have a network yet. Leave a comment saying ‘YES’, and I will DM you the details. Your backstage pass to the strategies, tactics, and insider knowledge that actually works. #fundraisingplaybooks #capitalraising #startupfunding

Harsh truth: Your startup is only as attractive as your ability to articulate it Founders love blaming investors for not understanding their idea…..unfortunately for you, it’s your fault not theirs. Investors get swarmed with decks and pitches constantly, so if you can’t show what your business is about in an engaging way, you won’t secure those funds. You HAVE to stand out. It’s not enough to just have key metrics that shows traction. Your value prop needs to be very EASY to understand and show them why this is an opportunity not to be missed. Really great breakdown here from Eva Dobrzanska #seedfunding #startupfunding #startups #founders

This is how you close Startup Investors to invest in your business 👇 The emails you send arrive on their phone screen notifications. Maximising that space (of what gets displayed as the preview) will: 🔓 turbocharge your Open Rates, 😇 generate a positive Halo Effect (investor sees you in more positive light), 💰 secure you more meetings and money cheques. Investors fund vision, not just ideas. And in capital raising, your vision is only AS GOOD as your ability to ARTICULATE it. #startupfunding #fundraisingplaybooks #vcfunding