(Webinar Recap) Fundraising 101: How to Raise Capital in SEA

When pitching to investors, it’s crucial to try to connect with them and speak to their belief systems. 

In many ways, fundraising entrepreneurs are essentially stepping into the role of “salesperson” - convincing investors to buy into the solution that they are offering. In order to do this successfully, make sure you understand the frame of reference and belief system of the investor sitting across the table from you so you can build a connection with them. 

Each investor is different - so it’s important to do your research before each meeting.  

Venture Capitalists look for different criteria when they are approached by founders at different stages. 

For founders operating at the pre-revenue or “pre-anything” stage, investors look out for: 

• Soft skills and values such as intellectual honesty, tenacity and grit
• Qualitative or quantitative data points that can support the problem statement that they are solving 

Founders at a slightly later stage (Series A or B) should come prepared with: 

• Demonstrated traction in a slide deck 
• Willingness to share your financials (via an NDA-gated data room) 
  ‍

You can't go far in the fundraising journey without finding Product-Market Fit.

According to our panel, startups who are unable to find Product-Market Fit are destined for an extremely difficult journey. As such, founders should invest their first few cheques into ascertaining and solidifying this Product-Market Fit if they want to be successful. Tune in to the session below to hear advice on how to find it!