Stages 1-2 (pre-seed and seed through Series A)
Run the raise as a filtered pipeline
A founder at S1 or S2 starting a raise must decide between a broad pitch tour and a filtered target list because investor fit determines conversion.
Options
Pitch every fund that will take a meeting
Filter to a few hundred funds by fit, then find partners
What mattered
- Fund size, geography, sector, thesis, and deployment timing
- Whether a specific partner leads relevant deals
- Whether the fund is still deploying this vintage
What was done
Founders in the sessions filtered thousands of funds down to plausible targets, opened meetings with qualifying questions, and ended misfit meetings early with a referral ask.
ClaimFilter funds by size, sector, thesis, and deployment timing before asking for a single introduction.
FAQ
- Which stage does this apply to?
- Stages 1-2 (pre-seed and seed through Series A).
- Where does this come from?
- Synthesized from FounderNexus founder sessions, with speakers abstracted.
FounderNexus convenes stage-matched founder groups around decisions like this one.