Your deck is ready, but a great deck doesn’t raise money on its own. What convinces investors is how you deliver it: the story you tell, the momentum you build, and the conviction you show in the room. Learning how to pitch to investors is what turns a good deck into a funded round.
This is the second volume of our Startup Fundraising Guide. After building a winning deck, here’s how to present it, control the narrative, and show the traits investors actually back.
How to Pitch to Investors: The Basics
A startup-investor deal is not that different from a client-provider negotiation. There is offer, demand and trade: equity in exchange for cash.
It’s true that there are more startups in need of funding than there are investors with available capital. However, VCs can only stay in business if they write checks, and that’s good news for startups. Every time you meet a VC, you know they’ll eventually invest in someone. Your job is to make sure they invest in you.
Build a funnel. Researching what venture capitalists are interested in is mandatory for startups when fundraising. For example, YCombinator publishes an annual open list named ‘Request for Startups’ that shows industries and problems they’re keen to invest in. Do your homework and focus only on funds that are most likely to bring you in.
For example, at GoHub Ventures, we keep an eye on Seed-stage founders building digital health solutions for preventive care and operational efficiency, and B2B software startups in AI and dual-use technologies. If this sounds familiar, send us your pitch deck.
Invest in relationships. You don’t want investors to hear about your startup for the first time when you’re asking for money. Instead, they should already be familiar with you. Engage with investors regularly; not just to raise funds, but to share your story, highlight the problem you’re solving, and communicate your vision. Attending events and using social media are great ways to stay on their radar.
Ask for introductions. If there are investors in your funnel who seem like a great fit but you don’t know them personally, ask for introductions. Word of mouth is the best marketing, especially when fundraising.
When meeting investors, keep this in mind: the goal of a first call isn’t to ask for money; it is to spark interest in your company so investors want to schedule a second call. Many founders mistakenly rush the investment process, but success comes from building engagement step by step.
“The goal of a first call is to spark interest in your company so investors want to schedule a second call”
Keep your target up to date. If you’ve followed the previous advice, you’ve probably spoken to some investors more than once. Identify those who have shown interest or asked you to keep them updated, they’re your primary targets.
Create urgency. Once you start fundraising, you’ll be sharing your pitch deck and attending board meetings. Take control of the process by making it clear that you’re considering multiple options and setting deadlines for receiving term sheets, collecting them is the best strategy to create competition and negotiation among interested funds. Play smart but play fair! Lying could get you blacklisted.
Face to Face: Key Traits Making Founders Investable
If your winning pitch deck has reached the right investors and you’re now sitting across the table from them, here are the key qualities, both objective and subjective, that you need to demonstrate.
- Traction. This is the most critical factor investors assess in a startup. Any doubts about you, your team, or your idea fade away if the numbers are strong; especially in terms of revenue and user growth. Traction speaks for itself.
- Proven track record. Entrepreneurs with previous successes are seen as less risky bets for VCs. If you or your co-founders have past wins—exits, high-growth ventures, or relevant industry experience, make sure to highlight them.
- Unshakable motivation. Motivation isn’t just about passion; it’s about obsession and relentless focus on your business. Investors want to see that you are fully committed and have the energy to power through challenges. Obsession, determination… are seen rather positively.
- Purpose. Make sure investors understand why you’re doing this. Your vision, mission, and long-term ambition; whether it’s transforming an industry or leaving a lasting impact; should be crystal clear.
- Resilience. Startups rarely follow a straight path. Investors want to back founders who can adapt to market changes, handle setbacks, and pivot when necessary without losing momentum. You can prove this attitude even with non related to business anecdotes of your life.
Storytelling: The Secret Art for Fundraising
Your storytelling skills, the passion you transmit and the information you show are your aces in the hole for fundraising.
Sure, your deck is important because visuals reinforce what you’re pitching and because sometimes your deck will be shared internally without you being present to explain.
But, let’s take some drama off. Research shows that motivation, security, energy, ambition, humbleness, determination… is what investors remember most from founders’ presentations.
At the end of the day, investors remember how you made them feel more than any single slide. Bring energy, tell a story worth backing, and let your traction speak. That’s what gets you to the next meeting.
Once you’ve mastered the pitch, the next step is giving investors everything they need to dig deeper on their own. That’s what we cover in the third volume, on building an effective data room.
More from the Startup Fundraising Guide
- Startup Fundraising Guide #1: How to Craft a Winning Pitch Deck for Investors
- Startup Fundraising Guide #3: Effective Data Rooms for Investor Confidence & Deal Closure
- Startup Fundraising Guide #4: How to Find the Right Investors for Your Startup
- Startup Fundraising Guide #5: Why Investors Say No (and How to Avoid It)
- Startup Fundraising Guide #6: Why Do Funding Rounds Exist and How Do They Work?
