# Investor Targeting > Build a tiered, stage- and sector-fit list of investors (VCs, angels, micro-funds, accelerators) for a founder's raise, using free public sources and live web search. Use when a founder asks "who should I raise from", "find investors for my startup", "which funds invest in at ", or wants to build or qualify a fundraising target list. Never invents firms or partners — every name is researched live and carries a source link. - Skill: `oncesylvia/investor-targeting` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 4 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add oncesylvia/investor-targeting` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/oncesylvia/investor-targeting/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: oncesylvia (https://skillmd.com/u/oncesylvia) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/oncesylvia/investor-targeting --- # Investor targeting Help a founder build a **tiered target list** of investors that actually fit their stage, sector, geography, and check size — grounded in live research, not memory. A wrong or invented name wastes the founder's scarcest resource (warm intros and credibility), so the prime directive is: **research, cite, flag — never fabricate.** Read `shared/references/outreach-ethics.md` before producing output. ## The hard rule on hallucination You do **not** have a reliable investor database in your weights. Fund theses, partner moves, check sizes, and "are they actively deploying" change constantly. Therefore: - **Do not name a specific firm, partner, or angel from memory as a recommendation.** Every name in the final list must come from a live `WebSearch` / `WebFetch` performed in this session. - Each entry carries a **source link** and a **confidence flag** (`verified` / `likely` / `unverified — check`). - If research is thin for a niche, say so. A short honest list beats a long fabricated one. It is correct to return "I found 6 strong fits; here are 4 search angles to find more" rather than padding to 30. ## Step 1 — Profile the raise (ask before searching) Collect these from the founder. If they're missing, ask; don't assume. 1. **One-liner**: what you do, for whom, the wedge. 2. **Stage & round**: pre-seed / seed / Series A; how much you're raising; how much is committed. (See `references/stage-map.md` for what each stage means for targeting.) 3. **Sector / category** + business model (B2B SaaS, consumer, deep tech, fintech, hardware, marketplace, AI infra, etc.). See `references/sector-taxonomy.md`. 4. **Geography**: where you're based, where you can take money from (some funds only invest in their region/jurisdiction). 5. **Traction**: the 1–2 metrics that make you fundable right now (revenue, growth, users, LOIs, a notable design partner). This drives *who* is a fit — a fund's check size must match your stage. 6. **Any constraints**: strategic investors to court or avoid, conflicts (competing portfolio cos), values requirements. ## Step 2 — Search across complementary angles Don't rely on one query. Use several angles so you don't miss whole pockets. See `references/free-data-sources.md` for the full source list. Core moves: - **Thesis search**: `" investors"`, `"funds investing in 2025"`, `" seed funds"`. - **Portfolio-analogy search**: find a few non-competing companies one notch ahead of you in the same category, then search **who funded their seed/A**. Their investors have proven appetite for your space. ("who invested in seed round"). - **Operator-angel search**: search for angels who built or led in your category (" angel investors", notable operators who now angel invest). Angels move faster and are often the first checks. - **Accelerator search**: if pre-seed/idea stage, search accelerators/studios that focus on your sector or geography. - **Directory search**: OpenVC, NFX Signal, the fund's own "submit a deal" page, recent SEC Form D filings, AngelList/Wellfound syndicates, relevant newsletters and "VC thesis" posts. For each promising hit, `WebFetch` the firm/angel's own site to confirm: stage focus, check size, sector, geography, and **how they want to be contacted** (many list a submit form or a partner's preferred path). ## Step 3 — Qualify and tier Score each candidate on fit, then sort into tiers: - **Stage fit** — does their typical check match your round? - **Sector fit** — explicit thesis or portfolio evidence in your space? - **Geo/jurisdiction fit** — can they legally/practically invest in you? - **No conflict** — not already backing a direct competitor. - **Reachability** — is there a warm path or a clear public contact route? Tier the output: - **Tier A (high conviction, lead with these)** — strong on all five, clear contact path. Aim for a focused set you can deeply personalize. - **Tier B (good fit, second wave)** — solid fit, weaker on one axis or no warm path yet. - **Tier C (worth watching / opportunistic)** — plausible but unverified, or fit is partial. ## Step 3.5 — Sequence the outreach (don't burn your best leads first) Recommend running outreach in waves: start with a few Tier B firms to pressure- test the pitch and gather objections, refine, **then** approach Tier A with the sharpened version and your best warm intros. Hand the Tier A targets to the `warm-intro` and `cold-email` skills. ## Step 4 — Deliver Output a table the founder can paste into a tracker (the `pipeline-tracker` format if present), with columns: | Firm / Angel | Tier | Why they fit | Stage & check | Contact path | Source | Confidence | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| Then add: - **Coverage note**: which angles you searched and which you didn't, so the founder knows what's *not* covered. - **Next searches**: 3–5 concrete queries to extend the list themselves. - **Verify-before-send reminder**: re-check each firm's current stage focus and contact preference right before reaching out — these go stale. ## Bilingual / China market (中文) If the founder is raising in the **China market**, read `shared/references/china-market-playbook.md` first. The free data sources differ — use **IT桔子 / 企查查 / 天眼查 / 36氪 / 投资界** instead of Crunchbase to verify a fund's deals and whether it's an RMB or state-backed fund (人民币/国资, which changes its mandate and process). Same anti-hallucination rule: research live, cite the source, never invent a 机构 name. ## Anti-patterns to refuse - Producing a long list "from knowledge" without searching. - Guessing partner email addresses. - Recommending a fund whose stage clearly doesn't match (e.g., a growth fund for a pre-seed idea) just to lengthen the list. - Dropping source links "to keep it clean." The links are the point.