Blog > Fundraising

VCs aren't your friends

As founder-friendly as VCs claim to be, they remain investment professionals. Many first-time founders are oblivious to this nuance, and are in for a rude awakening when they start their raise.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | May 15, 2024

How to build the perfect investor list

A solid investor list helps you map out your funding options and design the optimal access path for every investor. This post will show you how to build the perfect investor list, step by step.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | April 30, 2024

3 steps to survive a VC funding downturn

When VC funding is drying up, tech founders should take 3 key steps to adapt and survive. First, assess your product against market changes. Second, review and optimize your capital expenditures. Third, explore alternative funding streams.

Posted by Zain Jaffer | January 14, 2024

Can you hire a pro to raise funds for your startup?

Can you pay someone to raise funds for you? How much does it cost? Here's the truth about investment bankers, fundraising advisors, and what the best option is for first-time founders.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | November 22, 2023

How to build a startup pitch deck

This playbook is my home-made, battle-tested process to prepare the structure, content, and design of a typical early-stage startup pitch deck. These 2 hours of prep work will save you 10x more time down the road, I promise.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | September 22, 2023

"You're not VC fundable!" What it really means.

"Your project sounds cool, but I'm not sure it's VC fundable". If you're raising funds, you may have heard those words. It is important to understand what VC fundability is, why it's important, and how you can become VC fundable.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | September 5, 2023

How to negotiate with VCs

Here are some not-so-obvious insights about VCs, their incentives, their goals that will help you get better deals with the investors you choose to work with.

Posted by Steph Mui | July 11, 2023

How to raise $2M in equity-free grant funding

In this post, we will share key information about existing grant options that are available to founders in the UK, EU, and US, so you can maximize your chances of success.

Posted by Hemal Bhagwan | June 21, 2023

The legal implications of AI in startup fundraising: a Memorial Day 2023 story

I'm a securities attorney in New York. In other words, I do the legal stuff so my clients - startups - can raise funds safely and efficiently. On this Memorial Day weekend of 2023, what was I doing, you ask? I was busy preparing a “risk factor,” addressing the rapidly evolving world of AI-powered technology!

Posted by Côme Laffay | May 30, 2023