Check the fit before writing
A familiar name on an investor list is not automatically a relevant recipient. Check current official pages for the stage, geography and business models the investor actually considers. An old portfolio list does not establish an active mandate today.
For a few suitable contacts, write down a specific reason for the fit. If you could send the same sentence unchanged to every address, the preparation is probably still too general.
- Stage and usual ticket size suit the planned round.
- Geography and sector are meaningfully relevant.
- The investor provides an appropriate pitch or contact channel.
- The connection is current and not based only on a purchased list.
A first message does not need a whole data room
Briefly explain why you are contacting this person, what the business does and the action you propose. One supported piece of evidence is more useful than several unsubstantiated superlatives.
A prompt for an already permitted contact: Thank you for the conversation at [occasion]. We help [audience] with [task]; since we last spoke, we have achieved [supported development]. Would a short follow-up on [specific question] be relevant? Replace the brackets with true information, not impressive-looking numbers.
Use permitted channels and respect a no
Prefer explicitly provided submission channels or introductions both sides have agreed to. A publicly visible address is not automatically an invitation to send promotional emails. Do not collect private contact details or start automated sequences.
A useful follow-up supplies an agreed point or a relevant new development. Respect a lack of interest. Share documents only with the agreed recipients; sensitive information does not belong in an unprotected first message.
Keep the next step visible
Record the context, open question and agreed timing in your own working notes. Distinguish a sent message, a reply and an actual review decision. A long contact list should not look like an active funding round when it is not.
Before another exchange, check that the profile, deck and round information still agree. FoundMatter supports a consistent company record and controlled introduction requests; it is not an unlimited direct-outreach tool.
Sources and context
- Paul Krügel: experience behind the working method
- FoundMatter: distinguish facts, claims and open questions
The links provide context. These exercises are selected starting points from Paul Krügel's work with founders, not the complete framework. They are not investment, legal, tax or financial advice.