Investor target list
A working list of who you are approaching, why they fit, and how the introduction gets made.
Spreadsheet
Finding investors · Copyable template
Investor research worksheet
What to find out about a fund before the first meeting, and what each answer tells you.
Finding investors is a fit problem before it is a volume problem. A large list can make a process feel active while hiding a weak fit; a smaller one gives you a real learning loop, where each conversation tells you something about investor fit, your own evidence, or the milestone you still need to reach.
This worksheet is one investor at a time. Six areas, and under each of them the same four lines — what you found, where you found it, when you checked, and how confident you are. Investor mandates change, so an unsourced conclusion has a shelf life you cannot see.
Copyable template
What is in it
- Stage and check fit
- Thesis and sector fit
- Relevant portfolio context
- Partner-level ownership
- Warm-path quality
- Fundraising timing
- The score, and the next action
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The template is ready. Add your email to open it, and you will also get The Raise Memo — a note for founders raising capital.
How to use it
Notes
Rank by fit and next action rather than prestige: a partner who clearly understands your category and can actually make a decision is usually worth more than a famous name with no reason to engage. Re-verify mandate, partner, check range, and recent activity before each outreach cycle — a target list is a working decision tool, not a permanent directory. And if the list keeps producing weak fit, change the company framing or the financing timing before increasing the volume.
Where this comes from
The thinking behind it
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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.
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