Investor outreach for a seed round
Build a list of investors who actually invest at seed in your sector and region, find the one partner at each firm who covers your space, and send each a short, specific email: what you do in one line, the traction that matters, how much you are raising, and one ask for a short call. A warm introduction from someone the investor trusts, such as a founder they backed, usually beats a cold email, but a sharp cold email to the right partner does get read.
Before you write to anyone
- A one line description a stranger understands: who it is for and what it does.
- Your strongest proof, in numbers: revenue, growth, usage, pilots or a hard technical result.
- The round: how much you are raising and the instrument, for example a SAFE or a priced round.
- A short deck you can share as a link, with view access you control.
Build a list that fits
| Check | Why it matters | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Stage | Many funds say seed but mostly invest later | Their recent announced deals |
| Sector | Partners invest where they have a view | Portfolio pages, partner posts and talks |
| Cheque size | A fund that writes large cheques may skip a small round | Fund size and past rounds |
| Lead or follow | You need a lead first; followers wait for one | Who led the rounds they joined |
| Region | Some funds only invest in certain countries | Their website and portfolio |
| Conflicts | Investors rarely back a direct competitor of a portfolio company | Their portfolio |
Find the right partner
Write to one person at each firm, the partner who covers your sector, not a general inbox and not several partners at once. Look for who sits on the boards of companies like yours and who writes or speaks about your space. If a principal or associate covers your area, they are a fine first contact too: they source deals for the partners.
Warm introductions
The best intro comes from someone the investor trusts, such as a founder in their portfolio or a co-investor. Ask the connector first whether they are willing, then send them a short, forwardable email they can pass on as is. That way the investor can say yes or no without awkwardness, and the connector does not have to write anything.
The cold email
Subject: Ledgerbird, seed, 40 finance teams live
Hi Elena,
Your post on finance tools moving from the CFO to the whole company is the bet we are making.
Ledgerbird gets receipts from approvers before month end, so finance teams close faster. 40 teams use it, revenue grew from 8k to 31k a month since March, and nobody has churned.
We are raising a 1.5M seed on a SAFE and looking for a lead.
Would you be open to a 20 minute call next week? Deck here if useful: [link]
Marta
It is under 100 words, ties the opener to something the partner wrote, gives real numbers, names the round and asks for one thing. The numbers in the example are made up; use your own and never round up.
Run it as a process
- Send your outreach within a short window, so first meetings happen in the same few weeks and conversations move in parallel.
- Follow up once or twice, and only with news: a new customer, a metric, a key hire. See how many follow-ups to send.
- Track every investor, stage and next step in one list.
- When an investor passes, thank them and ask what would change their mind. Some will tell you.
A legal note
Raising money is regulated. In the United States, whether you rely on Rule 506(b) or 506(c) of Regulation D affects whether you may publicly promote an open round. In the UK, invitations to invest are restricted under section 21 of FSMA, with exemptions such as communications to investment professionals. Ask your lawyer before you post about the round or email people who are not professional investors. This is general information, not legal advice.
How Reach helps with fundraising
Fundraising is one of the goal kinds in Reach. Set the goal in one sentence, such as "raise a 1.5M seed from fintech investors in Europe". Scout finds partners who fit, Writer drafts a personal email to each, and you approve every one before it is sent from your own mailbox. See how a founder runs it in the seed round use case.
Checklist
- Write your one line description and strongest proof.
- Decide the round size and instrument.
- List investors who do seed in your sector and region.
- Check each investor's cheque size, lead behaviour and conflicts.
- Pick one partner per firm.
- Ask for warm intros with a forwardable email.
- Send a short email with real numbers and one ask.
- Send outreach in a short window and track every investor.
- Follow up only with news.
- Check fundraising rules with your lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Do investors read cold emails?
Many do, especially at seed, and some say so publicly. A warm introduction usually gets a faster answer, but a short, specific cold email to the right partner is read.
How long should an investor cold email be?
Under about 100 words: one line on what you do, your strongest numbers, the round size and one ask. Link the deck rather than attaching it.
Should I email several partners at the same fund?
No. Pick the one who covers your sector. Partners talk to each other, and several emails at once look unfocused.
Should I attach my pitch deck to the first email?
A link is better than an attachment. It keeps the email light, and you control access.
How many investors should I contact for a seed round?
Enough to run conversations in parallel, which for many founders means dozens of well fitting investors rather than hundreds of loose ones. Fit matters more than volume.