Fundraising readiness
Whether now is the right time to raise, and what investors expect to see before a first meeting.
The learning library
Everything founders ask before, during, and after a raise
Articles from The Raise Memo, organized by the fundraising decisions founders actually face, each topic pointing to the free tool that helps you work through it for your own company.
Topics
Round size and runway
How much to raise, how long it needs to last, and what the number should be built from.
Valuation and dilution
How pre-money and post-money valuation work, and where ownership actually goes when a round closes.
SAFEs and terms
SAFEs, caps, discounts, and the term sheet language founders are expected to understand before signing.
Pitch deck
What belongs in a deck, what investors skim past, and where narratives usually lose the room.
Finding investors
Building a target list and knowing which investors are actually a fit before you reach out.
Outreach and follow-up
Cold emails, warm intros, and running a fundraising process without losing momentum.
Investor meetings
What actually happens in a first meeting, the questions to expect, and reading investor signals correctly.
Diligence and closing
Data rooms, due diligence timelines, and what happens between a term sheet and money in the bank.
Fundraising operations and alternatives
Running a raise like a process, and the financing paths that exist outside of venture capital.
- Should I Raise Venture Capital or Bootstrap?
- How Do I Build a Fundraising Plan That Investors Can Believe?
- How Do I Run a Fundraising Process Without Losing Focus?
See all 10 articles in Fundraising operations and alternatives
From the publication
Read The Raise Memo
A note for founders raising capital—what investors notice, how conviction gets built, and what to do next.