How Early-Stage Founders Can Navigate VC conversations
Plus upcoming opportunities to meet investors from Greycroft, Next Wave NYC, Forum Ventures, The Venture Collective & more
For founders in the fundraising process, raising money can be confusing and even overwhelming. Recently, at the Lynx Collective Startup Fundraising Summit, VC investors Ashwini Anburajan (Side Door Ventures), Sumeet Shah (VHS Ventures) and Jessie Lam (Alinea Ventures) came together to share advice for founders trying to navigate the early stages of fundraising.
We focused the conversation on 3 general areas - getting connected to investors, the pitch, and getting investor commitments. Founders asked their own questions so our investor panel could address their real and specific concerns. The result was a very meaningful exchange of insights.
1. Keep Your Cold Pitches and Decks Clear and Simple
If you’re reaching out cold or getting a lukewarm intro, investors will likely spend very little time scanning your email or looking at your deck before deciding on a meeting. Get to the point quickly, make sure your email includes very clear hooks and that your deck is clear.
2. Focus on Investors Who Understand Your Stage and Sector
Don’t chase big-name investors if they’re not a fit for your stage. It can be tempting to “spray and pray” by reaching out to any investor, but that won’t be beneficial to anyone. You’re qualifying investors as much as they are qualifying you as an investment.
Early-stage founders can often benefit more from “super angels” or small funds focused on emerging startups. Look for investors who understand your space and are comfortable with early-stage risk.
3. Acing the Pitch
Walk them through your thought process so they can clearly grasp your story and what you’re building. It doesn’t need to be exhaustive—just enough to outline your business and vision. This way, you can jump straight into valuable questions and feedback rather than covering the basics.
4. Recognize “Not Now” Signals and Prioritize Genuine Interest
Not every investor will say “no” directly (very few do); phrases like “keep me updated” often mean they’re not fully interested. Look for genuine signals, such as detailed questions or requests for more information. An investor who is genuinely interested will reach out proactively—they’ll text, call, or email you for updates and actively make introductions to other investors.
5. Build Trust through Consistent, Customized Connection
You can continue to build trust with investors who have said “no” or are not interested right now by providing consistent updates. If an investor has pointed out specific areas of traction they want to see, send them regular updates with those KPIs in focus.
It can be tempting to include everyone on an investor update email, but the panel suggests customizing these emails to address specific conversations with investors. As with the previous advice, it’s better to be more targeted than to adopt a “spray and pray” approach.
Fundraising is an ongoing story. By sharing small wins and insights early on, you give investors context for your growth, which makes them more engaged when you’re ready for the big ask. Think of it as a series of mini-stories, not just one pitch.
Treat fundraising as a way to build lasting connections. Even if an investor doesn’t commit right away, staying in touch and being transparent can lead to support down the line, whether through advice, introductions, or future investments.
Upcoming Lynx Collective Events
(Nov 12) Inside: Greycroft - Greycroft is a seed-to-growth venture capital firm that partners with entrepreneurs who are striving to build category-defining companies, In this talk, hear from Kishen Patel about the firm and what he invests in
(Nov 14) Connect & Capitalize: Investor-Founder Mixer w/ Next Wave NYC and Forum Ventures - Join us for our monthly investor/founder mixer. This month we’re co-hosting with the investment team at Forum Ventures and Next Wave NYC
(Nov 18) Inside: The Venture Collective - The Venture Collective is an early-stage venture firm backed by leading entrepreneurs and business leaders. In this talk, we'll hear from General Partner, Cat Middleton.
(Nov 20) NYC AI Hack Showcase Night - Join us for an "open mic" night where 15-20 founders, engineers, and PMs will showcase their latest AI-driven hacks. Each participant gets 3-5 minutes to demo their project—whether built for work, fun, or as a side hustle—followed by a brief audience Q&A.