Fundraising 101
Last updated: Oct 2023
This content is intended for past participants of First Row’s workshops and on an invite-only basis. If you’d like to share this content, please reach out to Yoko or Minda.
About
In this fast-paced workshop, we cover the basics of fundraising from angels & VCs for founders. Join us to understand the questions to ask yourself around when/where and why of fundraising so you can determine the best path forward for their company.
Key Takeaways
Your need for cash is not the same as having an investable opportunity. Understand WHY you are raising capital in order to identify the best capital strategy for your company.
How you “get to the next lily pad” to unlock the next funding round is critical for building your fundraising strategy and the goals that will be most meaningful signals of progress. Think about what will make you exceptional when you reach that next inflection point.
Angels and VCs have different characteristics around return timeframe and incentives.
At the earliest stages, founders, especially those who have raised recently, are the best source of market stats and what is standard (instrument, valuation, etc.) around funding rounds.
Fundraising 101 Workshop Reading List
Last update: 4/16/2022
“How much capital should you raise?” (Alex Iksold)
A Behind-The-Scenes Look at How Investors Receive Your Pitch Deck (Phoebe Arkell)
“Why Maximizing Your Valuation May Be Minimizing Your Chance for Success” (Micah Baldwin)
“To SAFE or Not to SAFE?” (Elizabeth Yin)
Trends (Cooley LLP)
The Series A Report (Crunchbase)
“Startup valuations are rising” (Sammy Abdullah)
“Raising Capital for Startups: 8 Statistics That Will Surprise You” (Meredith Wood)
Q3 2021 US VC Valuations Report (Pitchbook)
Common questions from VCs (and what they may actually be asking) by First Row Partners
Venture Deals by Brad Feld & Jason Mendelson
Seattle Startup Toolkit (Ascend Ventures)
The Art of Fundraising Trello Board (Matt Rubright) - A little outdated, but helpful to get a sense of the questions to consider for your fundraise.
Follow VC Twitter! (@dunkhippo, @MacConwell, @MindaBrusse and more)
Have an article or resource suggestion? Drop us a line - hello@firstrowpartners.vc