# Fundraising

> When to activate: fundraising, venture capital, investor pitch, pitch deck, term sheet, due diligence, data room, seed round, Series A, Series B, pre-seed

- Skill: `mattakushi432/fundraising` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mattakushi432/fundraising`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mattakushi432/fundraising/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: Mattakushi432 (https://skillmd.com/u/mattakushi432)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mattakushi432/fundraising

---


# Fundraising

## Fundraising Stages

| Stage | Typical Amount | Investors | Milestones Needed |
|-------|---------------|-----------|------------------|
| Pre-seed | $250K–$2M | Angels, pre-seed funds | Idea + team |
| Seed | $1M–$5M | Seed funds, angels | MVP or early traction |
| Series A | $5M–$20M | VC funds | PMF evidence, early revenue |
| Series B | $20M–$75M | Growth VCs | Proven GTM, scaling revenue |
| Series C+ | $50M–$200M+ | Late-stage VCs, PE | Market leadership, path to profitability |
| IPO | $100M+ | Public markets | Scale, predictable growth, profitability |

---

## Investor Types

| Type | Check Size | Typical Stage | What They Offer |
|------|-----------|--------------|-----------------|
| Angel | $25K–$500K | Pre-seed/Seed | Networks, quick decisions |
| Angel syndicate | $250K–$2M | Seed | Combined check, faster process |
| Pre-seed fund | $250K–$1M | Pre-seed | Dedicated early-stage focus |
| Seed VC | $1M–$5M | Seed–A | Board seats, operational support |
| VC | $5M–$50M | A–C | Institutional follow-on, brand |
| Corporate VC (CVC) | $5M–$50M | A–C | Strategic partnerships, market access |
| Growth PE | $50M+ | B–D | Scale capital, operational expertise |

---

## Pitch Deck Structure (12 Slides)

### Slide 1: Cover
- Company name, tagline, fundraise amount
- Contact info, date

### Slide 2: Problem
- The specific pain, quantified if possible
- Who suffers from it and how badly
- Why now (timing is relevant)

### Slide 3: Solution
- Your product/approach in 1-2 sentences
- Show, don't just tell (screenshot or demo link)

### Slide 4: Market Size
- TAM / SAM / SOM with source
- Bottom-up preferred over top-down
- Market growth rate

### Slide 5: Product
- How it works (3-5 steps or screenshots)
- Key differentiating features
- Technical moat if applicable

### Slide 6: Traction
- Revenue, ARR, GMV, users — whatever is most impressive
- Growth rate (MoM or YoY)
- Key logos/customers

### Slide 7: Business Model
- How you charge
- Unit economics (LTV, CAC, payback period)
- Gross margin

### Slide 8: Go-to-Market
- Customer acquisition strategy (channels)
- Sales motion (PLG, inside sales, enterprise)
- Distribution advantages

### Slide 9: Competition
- Honest competitive map
- Your differentiation clearly stated
- Why you win

### Slide 10: Team
- Founders + key hires
- Relevant experience and domain expertise
- Advisors if notable

### Slide 11: Financials
- 3-year projections (P&L)
- Current burn rate and runway
- Key assumptions

### Slide 12: The Ask
- Amount raising
- Use of funds (specific allocation)
- Milestones this round enables

---

## Narrative Building

**The Founder Story Arc** (for pitch meetings):
```
1. Origin: Why do you care about this problem personally?
2. Discovery: What did you learn that convinced you this is a real problem?
3. Solution: Why this approach vs. alternatives?
4. Traction: What proof do you have it works?
5. Vision: Where does this go in 10 years?
```

**The "Why Now" Frame:**
- Technology shift that makes this possible
- Regulatory change that created the market
- Consumer behavior shift that opened the window
- Market timing (reference comparable waves: "like X did for Y")

---

## Investor Targeting

### Build Your Target List
1. Filter by stage + sector + check size (use Crunchbase, Pitchbook)
2. Identify firms with portfolio overlap (direct comp = pass; adjacent = good)
3. Map connections to specific partners (not just firms)
4. Tier: A-list (dream investors), B-list (good fits), C-list (backup)

### Warm vs. Cold Introductions
- **Warm intro**: Portfolio founder → VC partner (highest conversion)
- **Network intro**: Mutual connection → VC (second best)
- **Cold outreach**: Low conversion but still worth doing for strong signals
- Template cold email: 4 sentences max — what you do, key metric, why them, ask for 30 min

### Process Management
- Run a parallel process (meet 20-40 investors simultaneously)
- Create FOMO by having competing term sheets
- Never fundraise for more than 4-6 weeks without a reset

---

## CRM for Fundraising

Track every investor contact in a simple pipeline:
```
Columns: Name | Firm | Stage | Status | Last Contact | Next Step | Notes
Status:  Identified → Intro Sent → First Meeting → Deep Dive → Term Sheet → Closed
```

Update daily. Send weekly summary to co-founder.

---

## Data Room Contents

### Tier 1 (Share early)
- Pitch deck
- One-pager / executive summary
- Cap table (high level)

### Tier 2 (Share after interest confirmed)
- Detailed financial model (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow)
- Product roadmap
- Customer list + reference contacts
- Team bios

### Tier 3 (Share after term sheet)
- Certificate of incorporation + amendments
- Board minutes (last 2 years)
- IP assignments + patent filings
- Employee agreements + stock option plan
- Material contracts (customer, vendor, partnerships)
- Audit reports or reviewed financials

---

## Term Sheet Key Terms

| Term | What to Negotiate |
|------|------------------|
| Pre-money valuation | Higher is better; compare to comparables |
| Option pool | Negotiated pre or post-money; post-money is founder-dilutive |
| Liquidation preference | 1x non-participating preferred is standard; avoid 2x+ |
| Anti-dilution | Broad-based weighted average vs. full ratchet (avoid full ratchet) |
| Pro-rata rights | Future participation rights; standard for lead investors |
| Board composition | Maintain founder majority at seed; negotiate at A |
| Protective provisions | Investor veto on key decisions; keep list narrow |
| Information rights | Monthly financials, annual audit; standard |

---

## Due Diligence Preparation

### Common DD Areas
1. **Technical**: Code quality, architecture, security, IP ownership
2. **Commercial**: Customer contracts, pipeline validity, churn analysis
3. **Financial**: Revenue recognition, burn accuracy, unit economics
4. **Legal**: IP assignment, litigation, regulatory exposure
5. **Team**: Reference checks on founders + key hires

### How to Run Clean DD
- Organize data room before DD starts
- Designate one founder as DD coordinator
- Be proactive: flag known issues before they're discovered
- Respond within 24 hours to all requests
- Avoid surprises — they kill deals

---

## Fundraising Checklist

**Before launching**
- [ ] Deck is final and reviewed by advisors
- [ ] Data room Tier 1 ready
- [ ] Target list of 40+ investors built and prioritized
- [ ] Warm intro paths mapped for top 15
- [ ] Financial model stress-tested

**During process**
- [ ] Weekly investor pipeline review
- [ ] Follow-up within 24h of every meeting
- [ ] Proactively share positive news (customer wins, metrics)
- [ ] Maintain momentum — set deadlines for term sheet decisions