Startup Fundraising

Systematic framework for raising capital from pre-seed through growth stages.

Quick Start (Inputs)

Collect these inputs first (ask concise follow-ups if missing):

• Company basics: product, ICP, geo, stage
• Traction: revenue (MRR/ARR), growth, retention/NRR, pipeline
• Financials: runway, burn, gross margin, CAC/payback (if applicable)
• Raise: target amount, instrument (SAFE/note/equity), timeline, use of funds
• Constraints: legal counsel availability, current cap table + SAFEs/notes + option pool

Default Workflow

Use this sequence unless the user request is narrowly scoped:

1. Decide raise vs bootstrap (objectives, timing, capital intensity).
2. Size the round (18-24 months runway + milestone plan + buffer).
3. Prepare materials (deck, model, data room, narrative, metrics definitions).
4. Build investor list (stage/sector/check size/partner fit) and outreach cadence.
5. Manage diligence (data room hygiene, references, compliance, QA on metrics).
6. Negotiate/close (term sheet priorities, cap table + option pool modeling).
7. Post-close ops (cap table updates, 409A, governance, investor updates).

Jump to these files when needed:

• Strategy: assets/fundraising-plan.md
• Deck: assets/fundraising-deck-outline.md
• Data room: assets/data-room-checklist.md
• Term sheet + diligence: references/term-sheets-and-diligence.md
• Cap table hygiene: references/cap-table-management.md
• Post-investment ops: references/post-investment-operations.md

Modern Best Practices (Jan 2026)

• Burn multiple matters: Investors often screen efficiency via Net Burn / Net New ARR.
• Post-money SAFEs are common: Many pre-seed deals use post-money SAFEs (vs notes, pre-money SAFEs).
• Data room = product: Clean structure, version control, index document, 409A current.
• 8 due diligence areas: Beyond the deck - financial hygiene, unit economics, brand consistency, founder-market fit, digital reputation, customer validation, technical scalability, cap table hygiene.
• Milestone-based raises: Map every round to specific milestones and runway (best/base/worst).

Decision Tree: What Fundraising Help?

FUNDRAISING QUESTION
  |-- "Should I raise?" -> Raise vs Bootstrap Analysis
  |-- "How much to raise?" -> Round Sizing
  |-- "What's my valuation?" -> Valuation Framework
  |-- "How do I find investors?" -> Investor Targeting
  |-- "How do I pitch?" -> Pitch Preparation
  `-- "Full fundraising plan" -> COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGY

Fundraising Stage Overview

What Investors Look For by Stage

Should You Raise?

Raise vs Bootstrap Decision Matrix

Funding Types

SAFE vs Convertible Note (2026)

Why post-money SAFEs are common: Cleaner cap table modeling, predictable dilution, no debt features, and often faster to close than notes.

Round Sizing

Round Size = Monthly Burn x Runway Months + Buffer

Where:
- Runway: 18-24 months typical
- Buffer: 20-30% for unknowns

Milestone-Based Sizing

Dilution Considerations

Rule of thumb: Keep 15-20% for option pool, founders retain >10% at exit.

Valuation Framework

Valuation Methods by Stage

ARR Multiple Benchmarks (2025-2026)

Burn Multiple (2026 Key Metric)

The Burn Multiple is a common investor screening metric for efficiency.

Formula: Burn Multiple = Net Burn / Net New ARR

Investor Targeting

Investor Types

Investor Research Checklist

Building Investor List

Pitch Preparation

Pitch Deck Structure (12-15 slides)

Pitch Narrative Arc

SETUP (Slides 1-3)
  - Hook with the problem
  - Make it personal/urgent
  - Introduce solution

BUILD (Slides 4-7)
  - Show the product
  - Prove the market
  - Demonstrate traction

CLOSE (Slides 8-12)
  - Address competition
  - Show the path forward
  - Make the ask

Traction Metrics by Stage

References

Templates

Data

Do / Avoid (Jan 2026)

Do

• Track burn multiple: Net Burn / Net New ARR is a common investor screening metric.
• Use post-money SAFEs when appropriate: Common at pre-seed and simplify cap table modeling.
• Get 409A before options: Required for compliance, red flag if outdated.
• Build data room early: Start 3-4 months before fundraising, use version control.
• Headline every slide: Say the takeaway ("We reduce fraud 90%"), not labels ("Product Overview").

Avoid

• Vanity metrics without unit economics: GMV/signups mean nothing if you're burning $3 to make $1.
• Outdated 409A valuation: Creates tax liability and diligence red flags.
• Missing IP assignments: Every contractor, intern, employee must have signed.
• Inflated TAM without bottom-up assumptions.
• Inconsistent metrics across deck, model, and data room.

What Good Looks Like

• Narrative: one consistent story across deck, memo, and demo.
• Metrics: every KPI has a definition (formula + timeframe + source) and matches across artifacts.
• Data room: diligence-ready folder with cohorts, pipeline, contracts/terms, and key policies.
• Milestones: the raise maps to a milestone plan and runway model (best/base/worst case).
• Process: a tracked pipeline with weekly cadence (outreach, meetings, follow-ups, learnings).