For founders
Turn “who should we talk to?” into a list you can explain.
Start with the round, reduce the investor market to plausible matches, verify the current facts, and keep the next action visible.
01
Where should I start?
Write down the cheque range, stage, sector and geography that describe this round—not the company you might become in five years. Use those constraints to build the first list, then inspect each firm’s thesis, team and recent activity.
02
How do I keep the shortlist useful?
- Save the search itself when the question is worth returning to.
- Save a firm only when there is a reason it may fit.
- Record what happened after contact, not just a coloured status.
- Set the next follow-up as a task so silence does not become forgotten work.
03
Does a database solve fundraising?
No. It reduces avoidable research work and makes the process easier to reason about. The company, round, timing and relationship still do the hard part.