Founder guides
Practical playbooks for raising pre-seed to Series A when you don't already know the investors.
Accelerators outside YC worth applying to
How to choose a startup accelerator beyond the famous names: national, regional, zero-equity, sector and university programs, their terms, and how to judge fit.
How to apply to an angel group and get to a yes
How angel groups work, how to pick one, a readiness checklist, a copyable application summary, and what happens at screening, the pitch and diligence.
Advisors, boards and observer seats at seed
How founders handle advisors, board seats and observer rights at pre-seed and seed: who gets what, what to give advisors, board composition and meetings.
How to build an investor target list that fits your round
Build an investor target list that fits your round: five fit filters, how many names you need, a tiering rubric, where to find investors, and tracker columns.
Cap table basics for first-time founders
Cap table basics for founders: key terms, founder vesting and 83(b), a worked pre-seed to seed dilution example, SAFE stacking, option pools and staying clean.
Closing your round: signatures, wires and Form D
How to close a pre-seed or seed round: signature packets, wire fraud safeguards, rolling closes, the 15-day Form D deadline, state notice filings and next steps.
How to cold email investors and actually get replies
Seven copyable cold email templates for investors: first touch, follow-up, traction update, angel group, family office, after a no, and a forwardable ask.
Regulation Crowdfunding for startups: a founder's guide
How Reg CF works for startups: the $5M yearly cap, investor limits, financial statement tiers, Form C, testing the waters, and when crowdfunding fits your raise.
Seed data room checklist: what to put in it and when to share it
A seed data room checklist: what to share at pre-seed vs seed, a copyable folder structure, legal basics like 83(b) and IP assignment, and red flags to fix.
Investor due diligence questions to prepare for at pre-seed and seed
The due diligence questions seed investors ask on team, market, product, traction, financials, legal and regulation, with strong answers and a copyable FAQ doc.
Your first investor meeting: what to expect and how to prepare
What happens in an introductory investor meeting: a prep checklist, a 30-minute agenda, likely questions, questions to ask, signals and a follow-up email.
What to do after an investor says no
How to respond when an investor passes: decode the type of no, ask for feedback and a referral, keep them warm with updates and know when to come back.
A realistic fundraising timeline, week by week
A week-by-week pre-seed and seed fundraising timeline: preparation, batched outreach, meetings, finding a lead, term sheet, closing and Form D.
How much to raise at pre-seed and seed
Work out how much to raise at pre-seed or seed: milestones, runway and buffer, a worked example, a dilution table, and matching the round to real check sizes.
How to find angel investors in your city (even outside a tech hub)
Where angel investors are outside the big hubs, what their checks look like, seven places to find them locally, a fit checklist and a cold note you can adapt.
How to pitch a family office as a pre-seed or seed founder
How family offices invest in startups, how to find ones that fit your sector and city, how to get introduced, what to pitch, and a copyable intro request.
Run your raise like a pipeline: a free investor tracker and how to use it
Run your fundraise like a sales pipeline: clear stages, the columns that matter, a twice-weekly review, reading your funnel, and a free tracker layout.
The monthly investor update template founders can copy today
A copyable monthly investor update template: what to include, cadence, a sample update, examples of strong asks, and how updates help you raise the next round.
How to find and close a lead investor
How to find and close a lead investor at pre-seed or seed: who can lead, filtering by check size, sequencing meetings, asking directly and what to do without one.
Non-dilutive funding: grants, SBIR and state programs
How startups fund R&D without giving up equity: SBIR and STTR phases and limits, state grants and matching funds, the R&D payroll tax credit, and prizes.
The pre-seed and seed pitch deck checklist, slide by slide
A slide-by-slide pitch deck checklist for pre-seed and seed founders: a table, a teaser deck outline, common mistakes and what to stress outside Silicon Valley.
How pre-seed valuations are set, and how to pick your cap
How pre-seed valuations and SAFE caps are set: working backward from raise and ownership, what moves the number, pre vs post-money SAFEs, and negotiation tips.
How to raise a pre-seed round when you don't have a network
A step-by-step plan to raise pre-seed with no investor network: build a target list by stage, sector and city, use angel groups and local funds, and close.
Raising as an immigrant founder: visas, network and pitch
How immigrant founders raise pre-seed and seed: visa questions to settle first, building a US investor network from zero, and pitching your background.
Raising as a woman founder: networks, funds and tactics
How women founders raise pre-seed and seed: women-focused angel groups and funds, reading real investor fit, answering risk questions, and a bigger pipeline.
SAFE vs convertible note vs priced round: how each works and which to use
How SAFEs, convertible notes and priced rounds work, with worked dilution math, when each fits, and the SEC rules on accredited investors and Regulation D.
Second-time founder, no investor network: how to raise anyway
For repeat founders who bootstrapped, sold or failed before and have no investor network: package your track record, mine contacts and raise faster.
How to read a seed term sheet, clause by clause
Read a seed term sheet line by line: valuation and option pool, liquidation preference math, anti-dilution, board and vetoes, and a push-back checklist.
Traction investors expect at each stage
What traction investors look for at pre-seed, seed and Series A, metrics by business model, check sizes by stage from our data, and how to present traction.
The warm intro playbook: how to get introduced when you know nobody
How to earn warm investor intros with no network: double opt-in, a forwardable blurb, mapping connectors like portfolio founders and lawyers, and tracking.
Best investor databases for founders raising a seed round (2026)
OpenVC, Signal by NFX, Foundersuite, Crunchbase, VC Sheet, PitchBook and Zalarma compared for seed founders: best uses and free vs paid, checked Nov 2026.
Find the investors who fit your round
Tell us your stage, sector and city. Get 5 hand-picked investors, each with a one-line why-they-fit.