How to raise funds with OpenVC

Welcome, founder!

Use the table of contents below to quickly find the answer you're looking for. 👇

Introduction to OpenVC (start here)

What is OpenVC and is it right for me?

OpenVC helps tech founders access 6,000+ investors around the world.

On OpenVC, you will find 6,000+ early-stage investors, including VCs, angels, accelerators, and family offices. Some of them accept cold outreach while others prefer warm intros.

OpenVC charges no success fee and no commissions. We offer a "Free forever" plan that allows any founder to raise funds, and we monetize via a Premium subscription plan.

OpenVC also helps founders get better at fundraising with tutorials, templates, playbooks, and many other tools.

If you want to raise funds for your startup, OpenVC is where it's at!

How does OpenVC connect me with investors?

OpenVC connects you with investors in 3 different ways:

1. Cold outreach : Thousands of investors accept cold outreach directly via OpenVC. When you see the button "Submit deck" or "Send email", click it and directly reach out to the investor.
2. Warm intros : Plug your Gmail and LinkedIn account into OpenVC, we will browse your network and find people who can connect you to your dream investors.
3. Inbound requests : Add your startup to our deal flow page. Investors only see anonymized data like industry, country, revenue level... You can accept or reject every investor request and remain fully in control of your privacy.

In short, we help you find the best access point to investors for your startup.

What fundraising tools are available on OpenVC?

When raising funds for your startup, you will need several tools. OpenVC brings you the most powerful software suite for that:

• Investor list : A list of 6,000+ investors, sorted by many exclusive filters and cleaned up weekly so it's always up-to-date.
• Fundraising CRM  : A sleek and smart CRM that allows you to track store and track all your investor conversations, from first contact to closed deal.
• Deck tracking : Create unique deck links that you can share with investors anywhere. Track when your deck is opened and for how long.

Those tools are all natively integrated together: from shortlisting investors to sending emails and tracking analytics, you can do it all in OpenVC. Smooth and efficient.

Lastly, OpenVC is collaborative. You can invite your cofounders or advisors to raise with you on OpenVC at no extra cost.

What if I've never raised funds before?

Most founders are first-time founders. They have never raised funds before.

Don't worry, we will show you how to do it step by step. We have resources like the Fundraising Masterclass to help you learn how to raise like a pro.

Just follow the checklist after signing up, you're in good hands.

How much does OpenVC cost?

Most of OpenVC is free to use.

We don't charge a success fee, and we don't take equity in your company. You can raise $10M via OpenVC and never pay us one dollar.

The only product we sell is our Premium Membership for founders. It costs $99/month or just $299 for 12 months and gives you 5x more outreach per day while also unlocking the Intro Finder and other advanced tools.

If you want to raise faster and support us, consider becoming an OpenVC Premium member.

I. Prepare your raise with OpenVC

Sign up as a founder

Go to OpenVC.app and click "Sign up", then "I'm a founder".

Fill in the first page with your personal information.

Then click "Next" and move on to your Company profile. If your company is already on the list, just select it. Otherwise, create a new company.

Once you sign up, you will receive a validation link to your email address. Click the link to activate your account and you're in! 

Complete the onboarding checklist

Make sure to complete the onboarding checklist after signing up. This will tremendously help with every step of your raise forward.

Let's dive into each item.

Take the Fundability test

The Fundability Test is the starting point of your OpenVC experience.

Answer 30 questions and get a full assessment of your startup:

• 12 red flags: We test your startup on 12 red flags, so you can fix them before raising.
• Fundability score: Find out if you're in the top 50%, top 10% or top 1% of startups currently raising based on signals that investors love.
• Valuation range based on recent data from Carta and AngelList.
• Better investor targeting: We use your answers to refine your search results with additional keywords.
• Investor declined: The investor has clicked the "Pass for now" button on his OpenVC interface. They usually provide a short explanation with that.

Please note that your Fundability score is confidential and will never be shared with investors. You can re-take the Fundability test as often as you want.

Invite your team members on OpenVC

OpenVC allows you to add an unlimited amount of team members, for free. Every team member can edit your startup profile, access your Fundraising CRM and reach out to investors on the behalf of your company.

To invite team members to your OpenVC account, just go to the Teams page and click "Invite team members".

Your team members will receive an email inviting them to join OpenVC. When signing up, your team members need to select your company in the dropdown list. Then, you will receive an email asking you to confirm their association to your startup.

That's it! Your team is now on OpenVC.

Craft a top 1% outreach email

You need a solid email to reach out to investors. We help you do just that.

Go to your Outreach settings and follow the indicated steps. Our AI agent will generate an investor-grade email template for you. You can always edit it before sending.

Before emailing investors, read our guide "How to write a top 1% email to VCs". The first impression matters a lot, so make sure to maximize your chances!

Upload your pitch deck

Your pitch deck is a key fundraising material.

Upload your deck on OpenVC here. You'll be able to generate unlimited deck links (with tracking!) for every investor.

Not only that, but our AI will also analyze your deck and suggest improvements, so you can be sure to put your best foot forward.

Pro tip: If your PDF is over 10Mb, use Small PDF to compress it first.

Set up your default email client

Before you can send emails from OpenVC, decide how you want to send them:

• Option A: A webmail service in your browser like Gmail, Outlook.com
• Option B: A desktop email app like Apple Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird

Once you know which one you use, follow the matching setup below.

Option A – Gmail, Outlook.com or another webmail service

If you use Gmail or another web-based client:

1. In Chrome: Open Gmail, click the small diamond icon in the address bar, select “Allow” when asked to open email links with Gmail.
2. In other browsers: Look in the browser’s settings for “mailto handler” or “default email service.”, choose your preferred webmail provider (Gmail, Outlook.com, Yahoo, etc.).

Once set, clicking “Send email” in OpenVC will open a new Gmail (or webmail) compose window with your message pre-filled.

Option B – Apple Mail, Outlook, or another desktop email app

If you prefer using a desktop app:

1. On Windows: Go to Settings → Apps → Default apps → Email, then select your preferred email app (Apple Mail, Outlook, etc.).
2. On Mac: Open the Mail app., go to Mail → Preferences → General → Default email reader, then select your preferred email app (Apple Mail, Outlook, etc.).

Once set, clicking “Send email” in OpenVC will automatically open your chosen email app with the new message ready to send.

IMPORTANT: whitelist OpenVC with your email client

We will send you investor replies via the email address dealflow@openvc.app.

Therefore, you must make sure this address is whitelisted with your email client.

It takes less than 5 minutes. See how to whitelist OpenVC here.

II. Find the right investors for your startup

Use filters to find the right investors for you

OpenVC helps you target the right investors with multiple filters:

• Verticals: These are keywords that relate to the themes of investment such as fintech, SaaS, ecommerce, female founders, sustainability, etc. Type in anything and use the dropdown list to get relevant suggestions. The more keywords, the more accurate.
• Geography: This is the country where your company is incorporated. It does matter. Many investors will invest in US-based companies while very few will invest in Cuba or Iran. Just enter one value for the most accurate results.
• Stage: Investors usually talk about funding rounds, such as "seed" or "Series A". However, these terms are often blurry. At OpenVC, we prefer thinking in terms of company stage: idea, prototype, early revenue, scaling, growth, and pre-IPO.
• Round size: That's how much you're raising in total for the current round. For example, if you're raising a $2M seed round in total, that's the number.

OpenVC also provides advanced filters for Premium users:

• Solicitation: Filter investors who haven't received a lot of decks this week and increase your chances of being noticed.
• Outreach : Filter investors you can email directly via OpenVC ("Submit deck") or via your own email client ("Send email"), those who have an online form ("Online form"), and those who require a warm intro ("Intro preferred").
• Investor type: Filter among 10 investor types including solo angels, family offices, corporate VCs, and more.
• Investor HQ : That's where the investor has its headquarters. Use it to target investors with strong local footprint.
• Verified: Verified investors have signed up to OpenVC themselves and provided first-hand data. Non-verified investors have been assembled from public sources by OpenVC.
• Check size: Investors typically won't invest under or above a certain check size. You can filter it here.
• Lead: Select investors who always or sometimes lead rounds. This is helpful for larger priced rounds, but not so useful if you're raising with SAFE.

Once you run a search, results are ranked by fit. The best fit investors appear on top, so you can just work your way from top to bottom. Easy!

Build your investor shortlist on OpenVC

Before reaching out to investors, build a solid shortlist.

To do that, start from the "Search investors" menu and browse our list of 6,000+ investors. When an investor seems like a good fit, just click "Add to CRM". Otherwise, click "Skip".

It's literally Tinder for VCs.

Rinse and repeat until you have gone through all the investors in our database. All your shortlisted investors will be waiting in your CRM, in the "To be contacted" column.

You can also manually add investors that are NOT on OpenVC. From your CRM, click the button "Add an investor" and fill the fields.

Just like that, you can centralize 100% of your investor shortlist in one place, ready to take action.

An investor is "Submit your deck later". What does it mean?

When investors receive too much deal flow in the past 7 days, the "Submit deck" is temporarily disabled and a warning message is displayed. Just try again in a few days.

An investor is "verified". What does it mean?

Verified investors have a blue checkmark next to their name. This means that they signed up themselves to OpenVC, so the data provided is likely extremely accurate.

Non-verified investors have been added to the database from public sources by the OpenVC team.

Investors are verified based on email address and public information. However, OpenVC does not perform any KYC/AML verification.

We strive to provide accurate data, but you might encounter occasional errors. In any case, you should do your own due diligence on investors before sharing critical information or signing documents.

OpenVC is not liable for any damage that may arise from your interactions with other OpenVC users. Be smart, use common sense.

An investor profile says "Find intro". What should I do?

Some investors refuse or ignore cold outreach. In that case, they have a button "Find intro" on their profile.

It can be frustrating, but at least, you know that these investors exist and what they invest in.

Then it's up to you to find an intro. You can do that manually by asking your network, or do it automatically with the OpenVC Intro Finder.

Other investors accept deal flow via an online form, such as Typeform or Google Forms. Just click the "Fill form" button and follow the instructions.

Obviously, we're working hard to make as many investors accept direct cold emails via OpenVC. Keep reading to learn how to reach out to those open investors.

III. Access investors via intros, outreach, and inbound

Warm intros via OpenVC

Some investors don't accept cold outreach. In that case, we help you find people in your network who can introduce you to those investors.

First, upgrade to OpenVC Premium. Then click "Find intros" and plug your Gmail and LinkedIn accounts. You can even plug multiple emails, like your professional and personal addresses. Wait 2 to 8 hours until your whole network is analyzed - you'll get an email notification.

That's it! Now, you can instantly see potential intro paths for each investor. You can even see how people are connected, such as a joint employer or a co-investment in a startup.

This is a powerful feature. Keep in mind results depend on the extent of your existing network, though. Your data is processed by our partner Village, ensuring it's always private and secure. Contact us at steph@openvc.app if you have questions regarding data privacy and security.

Cold outreach via OpenVC

Some investors have a button "Submit deck" on OpenVC.

This means that they signed up to OpenVC and opted in to receive deal flow via our platform. Just click the button, follow the instructions, and submit you deck.

Please note that those submissions are screened by OpenVC. If your submission doesn't fit our guidelines, it will be rejected and we will provide some feedback so you can fix it and re-submit to that investor.

Other investors have a button "Send email" on OpenVC.

This means that the data was gathered from public sources. You will have to email them from your own email client (Gmail, Outlook, etc).

Please note that both "Submit deck" and "Send email" count towards your daily count of outreach.

Inbound requests via OpenVC

When you complete your Fundability test, your startup gets added to our anonymized deal flow page, available here.

This page allows investors to browse current OpenVC deals based on anonymized data points (geography, stage, traction, etc) and send you a request to connect. Your company name or founding team is never displayed to preserve your privacy.

Here's what an investor sees in the deal list:

Here's what an investor sees before requesting your deck:

The request will appear in your OpenVC dashboard, as shown below.

You can accept the request and start a conversation, or ignore it and remain anonymous. That way, you're always in control of your raise.

IV. Reach out to investors via OpenVC

What's the difference between "Submit deck" and "Send email"?

OpenVC gives you two different ways to reach out to investors:

• "Submit deck": This means that the investor signed up to OpenVC and agreed to receive cold outreach via our system. Submit your deck in 1 click, we take care of everything.
• "Send email": This means that we gathered data from public sources. You will email the investor via your own email client such as Gmail or Outlook.

Why do you screen my submissions? How long does it take?

When you use the "Submit deck" feature, your submission will be reviewed by our team before being sent to the investors. This is a requirement from investors who signed up to our platform and don't want to receive spam or low-quality deals.

After sending your first submission, please wait.

Screening usually takes 24 hours (excl. weekends) and rarely up to 72 hours.

If your submission is rejected, no worries. You will be notified by email quickly. Then, fix your email and deck, and resubmit. Take this as an opportunity to maximize your chances.

If your submission is approved, you will be notified by email and the investor will receive your email as well. If the investor is interested, he will reply to you directly by email. OpenVC doesn't act as a middleman.

How to attach my pitch deck with OpenVC

When it comes to pitch decks, OpenVC gives you two options:

• Use OpenVC decks. Just upload a PDF, it's 100% free and includes deck tracking, automatic follow-up, and CRM integration. Recommended.
• Use a third-party deck viewer (DocSend, Dropbox,,,). It may be convenient if you already use one but you won't benefit from the features listed above.
  

What do investors see when I submit a deck via OpenVC?

When investors receive your email, this is what it looks like: 

You will notice that your pitch deck is automatically inserted at the end of the email and acts as the call to action.

The email comes from our dealflow@openvc.app email address, which most investors have whitelisted. When the investor clicks "Reply", it's your email address which is used. OpenVC gets out of the conversation and you engage in a direct relationship with the investor.

Reaching out to more investors via OpenVC

Once your first email has been approved, you can reach out to more investors.

Free users can reach out to 1 investor per day while Premium members get 5 per day. The daily count is visible on your dashboard.

V. Find investor intros via OpenVC

How do I set up the "Find intro" feature?

First, upgrade to OpenVC Premium. The Intro Finder is a Premium feature, and there's no possibility to try it on a Free plan.

Then click "Find intros" next to any investor.

There, sync your Gmail and LinkedIn contacts.

• For Gmail contacts, you can plug multiple emails, like your professional email, your personal email, and your cofounders' emails. The more, the better.
• For LinkedIn contacts, you will have to install the Chrome extension of our data partner Village. This extension will also be useful to find intro paths outside of OpenVC.

Wait 2 to 8 hours until your whole network is analyzed - you'll get an email notification when it's ready.

If you have any concerns regarding data privacy and security, please refer to this section. In short, we treat your data with utmost care and never resell your data.

How do I find intro paths on OpenVC?

Once your Intro Finder is correctly set up, you will see either of the button next to each investor.

Click "n intros found". A pop-up will open and show you potential intro paths for that investor, including the connection strength.

When no intro is found, it means that we couldn't find anyone is your network that has access to that investor. You can always try to optimize your intro paths to expand your network (see below).

How can I optimize my intro paths?

After all your contacts are synced, click the intro button, then "Manage all contacts" at the bottom.

There, we will show you some strong connections of yours whose identity we were unable to link to a LinkedIn account.

Fix that manually - it takes a few seconds - and it will expand your pool of intros.

Some intro paths seem to be missing

If you think that we missed some specific connections in your network, please try the following steps.

First, open the Intro Finder on that specific firm or person. See if the button "Fetch more paths from alternative sources" is available at the bottom of the window.

Second, click that button and wait a few seconds. You should see multiple notifications, then new paths will start appearing.

The Intro Finder is not perfect yet, but we keep improving it. Let us know if you have any feedback!

How to access the networks of my cofounders and friends?

OpenVC gives you two ways to access the networks of your allies:

• Invite your team to OpenVC. Invite your cofounders and advisors to OpenVC, let them set up their own Village account, and tap into their whole network - including their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degree relationships! They will also have access to your OpenVC account so you can raise together as a team.
• Ask a friend to share their network. Send an invite link to your friends, let them plug quickly into your Village account, and tap into their 1st degree relationships. They will NOT have access to your OpenVC account.

How do I find intros outside of OpenVC?

Surprise: the Intro finder also works outside of OpenVC.

Every time you visit a website, an "O" icon will appear if we find an intro path for you. Just click it to see the details.

This is what it looks like on LinkedIn:

And this is what it looks like on a VC website:

From there, you can click the icon and see the details.

Please note that this feature only works on Chrome for now, and you need to install the Chrome extension of our data partner Village.

You can deactivate and reactivate this feature at anytime directly from the Chrome extension, as shown below:

VI. Run your fundraising process in OpenVC

How can I track my email status?

You can track your submissions in real-time in your OpenVC CRM.

When logged in, go to your Fundraising page, then click "Go to CRM". There, you will see a list of all your past submissions and their current status:

• OpenVC review: Your outreach is being reviewed by our team. We usually approve submissions within 24 hours. If we reject it, we provide a bit of feedback, so you can fix it and try again.
• Rejected by OpenVC: That's when we rejected your submission. See the feedback, adjust your submission, and try again.
• Sent via OpenVC: Your submission was approved by our team and sent to the investor.
• Email opened: The investor has opened your email but hasn't replied yet.
• Investor interested: The investor has clicked the "I'm interested" button on his OpenVC interface. They usually book a meeting directly in your calendar (if you have included a calendar link) or reply to you via email.
• Investor declined: The investor has clicked the "Pass for now" button on his OpenVC interface. They usually provide a short explanation with that.
• Ignored: If the investor doesn't reply to your deck within 15 days, we mark it as "Ignored".

I got an error message from an investor. What should I do?

In rare occasions, you may email an investor via OpenVC and get a reply like this.

This usually happens when an investor leaves a fund and doesn't update their profile on OpenVC.

We see these messages and clean up the outdated profiles quickly, so no need to report it to us - but we appreciate your help!

Should I use OpenVC Decks?

Yes, you should.

If you already have your deck hosted on another service like DocSend or Pitch.com, we give you the option to use that.

However, OpenVC Decks gives you additional benefits and is completely free:

• Instant unique links: OpenVC Decks automatically generates a unique link for each investor, which is better for you (less manual work) and for investors (no signup).
• AI analysis of your deck: Every deck you upload is analyzed by our AI. You will get custom recommendations to improve your deck and maximize your chances.
• Deck tracking: Every time your deck is opened, we capture it, as well as the duration, the location, the device, and the last slide seen.
• Capture replies: OpenVC Decks collects "pass or fail" from investor with a smooth UX that maximizes investor replies.

We built OpenVC Decks to offer you a seamless and robust solution. If you're serious about raising via OpenVC, it's probably the right choice.

How to delete a pitch deck

You can generate unlimited unique deck links that can be shared with investors and tracked, completely free. No need to worry about storage space and deck limits.

However, you can only use 10 different versions of a deck at the same time. So in some rare cases, you may use the "Delete deck" button to delete an older version and upload a recent one instead.

Please note that a deck cannot be deleted if it is linked to an active submission.

For example, if you recently sent a deck to an investor, you won't be able to delete it until the investor has replied or after the submission is automatically marked as "Ignored" after 15 days without response.

How to use the OpenVC CRM

The OpenVC CRM allows you to run your fundraising efficiently. It is completely free for all founders.

Everytime you email an investor via OpenVC, a new record is added to your CRM, so you don't need to create it manually. If you use the OpenVC deck viewer, the deck is automatically linked to the record and all the metrics are pulled into the CRM. No manual work required.

You can also use the OpenVC CRM to track your non-OpenVC conversations. Just click "Add an investor" and enter the information.

How to follow up with investors on OpenVC

If you are using OpenVC Decks, OpenVC will automatically follow up with each investor twice in the next two weeks. You have nothing to do.

You can see the follow-up progress directly in your OpenVC CRM, in Table view:

For investors, it is typical to not reply if they are not interested. So if you don't receive an answer after two follow-ups, you can safely consider there's no opportunity here - and we will mark the Status as "Ignored" in the CRM.

If you are not using OpenVC Decks, we cannot follow up automatically for you, since we don't know whether the investor has replied.

How to import external investor lists into your OpenVC CRM

If you have an existing investor list, you can import it into your OpenVC CRM.

From your CRM, click "Add an investor", then at the bottom "Import an existing list in.csv". Make sure to follow the instructions, and upload your CSV.

At the moment, you can import 50 investors at a time.

How to export your OpenVC data?

Wanna leave OpenVC? No problem. You can export your CRM data as a CSV or XLS in one click. This is available similarly for Free and Premium members.

Just go to your CRM, then click "More", and export as CSV or XLS.

Please note that for privacy reasons, the export file doesn't include investor emails and LinkedIn accounts.

How to get more investor replies

Use OpenVC Decks.

OpenVC Decks includes two buttons that allows investors to confirm their interests and book a call with you, or to decline the deal and provide feedback.

This makes it easy for investors to reply.

Investor feedback gets directly reported into your OpenVC CRM, so you get an overview of how you perform and why investors pass on the opportunity.

VII. Managing your OpenVC account

How can I change or recover my password?

Go to https://OpenVC.app/password to reset the password of your OpenVC account.

How can I change my email address used with investors?

If you're creating a new startup, just create a new OpenVC account with your new email address. That's the easiest way.

If you want to add a new email address to an existing startup, then create a new OpenVC founder account with the email address you want. At sign up, associate your new account with your existing startup. Your new account will be able to access all the data of the existing account and email investors from your new address.

Problem solved :)

How can I change the name of my startup?

If you're creating a new startup, create a new OpenVC account. Do not reuse an old OpenVC account for a new startup. If you had a Premium membership on your old account, email us at steph@openvc.app and we will transfer it from your old to your new account.

If you are just rebranding your existing startup, then email us at steph@openvc.app and we'll change the name of your startup for you.

How can I edit my startup information?

When you sign up, you are asked to provide some information about your startup.

To update that information, just click on your profile picture and access your Settings. Then, you will be able to access 5 menus: Profile, Startup, Team, Outreach, and Billing.

How can I save my email template for future use?

Once your first email has been approved, you will want to send more. But you don't want to type in the same message again and again. No worries, we got you covered.

Head to your profile picture (bottom left), then select "Outreach". There, you can save and edit your scheduling link, your email subject, and your email body.

Keep in mind that customization is key! Even if you have an email template, you should customize it for every investor you reach you to if you want to get replies.

How can I invite my team to OpenVC?

OpenVC allows you to add an unlimited amount of team members, for free. Every team member can edit your startup profile, access your Fundraising CRM and reach out to investors on the behalf of your company.

To invite team members to your OpenVC account, just go to the Teams page and click "Invite team members".

Your team members will receive an email inviting them to join OpenVC. When signing up, your team members need to select your company in the dropdown list. Then, you will receive an email asking you to confirm their association to your startup.

That's it! Your team is now on OpenVC.

I want to access my invoices or cancel my Premium account

Log in to your OpenVC account, then go to the Settings, then Billing. Log in to your Stripe portal with the email address your used for payment. There, you will be able to access your invoices and cancel your Premium account.

I want to delete my OpenVC account

Just go to https://openvc.app/delete to delete your OpenVC account. All the data related to your account (startup, team members, submissions) will be deleted. This will be done ASAP and a confirmation email will be sent to you.

If you have a Premium membership, make sure to cancel it BEFORE deleting your account!

VIII. Making the most of your OpenVC account

IMPORTANT: whitelist OpenVC with your email client

We will send you investor replies via the email address dealflow@openvc.app.

Therefore, you must make sure this address is whitelisted with your email client.

Learn how to whitelist OpenVC.

What other resources do you offer?

Reaching out to investors is only half of the battle. As a founder, you need to educate yourself on fundraising, surround yourself with the right ecosystem, and much more.

Check out our free resources for more tools:

• OpenDeck : 1,500+ slides, sorted by category (Team, Market...)
• Ebook : A visual ebook covering the key points on fundraising
• Podcast : A bimonthly podcast where top investors get interviewed
• OpenMap : A map of investors across the world
• FundraisingAdvisors.app : A directory of fundraising advisors for startups
• PitchDeckExperts.app : A directory of pitch deck designers for startups

How can I get featured on the OpenFlow page?

The OpenFlow page allows investors to browse a selection of anonymized startups currently raising funds. You can see it here.

Investors only see generic information such as country, industry, growth rate so they can request an intro. The founder can accept the request (and be connected with the investor) or ignore the request (and remain anonymous.)

If you don't want your startup listed on Open Flow for some reason, just email steph@openvc.app.

What is the OpenVC Premium Membership?

All the core features of OpenVC are open and free. You can absolutely raise funds via OpenVC and never pay us one dollar.

However, advanced features are available for users who want even more value from OpenVC.

A Premium membership gets you all the great features and perks below.

By getting a Premium membership, you're also supporting our little team at OpenVC to build and grow more!

The Membership only costs $99/mo or just $299 for 12 months.

IX. How is my privacy and data protected on OpenVC?

Do you resell my data?

No, OpenVC does not resell your data.

We only make money with our Premium subscriptions and with our brand partnership (thank you Intercom!).

That's it. We do not resell your data. This is not our business model, and this is not what we believe in.

Who has access to my OpenVC data?

The OpenVC team has access to your data for normal business operations and performance of our service, including support, analytics, and deal screening.

That's it. No human outside of OpenVC has access to your OpenVC data and profile.

When I upload my deck to OpenVC, is it shared with investors?

No, your deck is not shared with investors after you upload it.

If you want to share your deck with investors, you have to submit it yourself via our submission process. Each investor outreach on OpenVC is 1-to-1, you're always in control.

Similarly, there is no "auto-sharing" feature and no "mass outreach" feature.

Is there a public "company page" where investors can see all my startup information?

No, there is no such page.

Besides issues of privacy and confidentiality, this kind of public profile is actually a bad idea.

Investors like the "hunt". They like feeling that they had to struggle to access a deal. If your startup is visible on a public page for all to see, like meat on the shelf, it's not exciting for them and many will think poorly of you.

True, it's not efficient, but fundraising is a psychological game.

So no public profile for your startup is available on OpenVC.

What is OpenFlow and how does it protect my privacy?

Investors can browse our OpenFlow page, an anonymized deal page updated daily. In that page, investors see generic information about each deal; country, round size, revenue growth... However, investors cannot see your company name, the founders' name, or any identifying information.

Based on this anonymized data, investors can click a button and request an intro to the founder. The founder can ignore the request and remain anonymous, or accept the request and disclose their identity.

This "double opt-in" system guarantees that the founder remains in control of their privacy while being able to engage with investors.

What about data privacy with the pitch deck screening?

Our pitch deck screening is a combination of human work (performed by an OpenVC team member) and AI (using multiple paid LLM). Your data is never used for training models.

What about data privacy with the Intro Finder?

The Intro Finder is built with Village (village.do), a specialized data provider with strict privacy and compliance policy. In particular when it comes to GDPR, only profiles that are GDPR compliant are made available publicly. More details are available here.

Can I trust the investors listed on OpenVC?

When investors sign up to OpenVC, we perform a basic verification based on publicly available information. We also monitor investor behaviors on the platform, and disable the profiles exhibiting suspicious activity or when negative behaviors are reported.

However, it's your job as a founder to do a background check before engaging with a third party. OpenVC is not responsible for any damage or loss that you incur following your usage of OpenVC.

Don't outsource your safety. Be smart. Do you own research.

Do you run KYC/AML verification on the investors listed on OpenVC?

No, we don't.

I have more questions about OpenVC

OpenVC is a young project and we need your feedback to improve! 

Please use the chatbox to share your thoughts, we try to reply within 24 hours.

Thank you for using OpenVC and best of luck with your fundraising!