Keep it short - with angel investor Katie Dunn

Katie Dunn​ is an angel investor in multiple companies and a highly experienced startup advisor. Katie is also one of the co-founders of ​Power to Pitch​, which helps founders pitch and raise from investors, grants, and other sources. 

She was a guest at the Meet.Capital Startup Podcast, and shared her 5 tips for startup success in fundraising:

1. Only reach out to investors who invest in your domain: When looking for investors, prioritize those whose thesis aligns with your startup. This minimizes rejections and ensures you're targeting investors who understand and support your vision. Don't try to educate investors. Spare your energy by doing the research and reaching out only to relevant investors.
2. Seek strategic investors: Look for investors who can add value beyond the money they invest and fill gaps in your business. This could mean they have experience and connections that can help you get ahead faster, especially in areas you’re unfamiliar with.
3. Keep outreach short and direct: When reaching out to potential partners or investors, avoid long-winded messages. Be concise, and make a clear ask. This will get better results than attempting to give a fuller picture or a lot of information upfront.
4. Adopt a mindset of giving: Don’t just ask for investment—show investors what value you bring to them. It might be information about a specific opportunity or event, access to certain circles, introductions, insights about your industry, and more.
5. Focus on the people you need, not just money: Instead of only seeking money, think about the people you need to solve specific challenges in your business, and the team you need to build to succeed. This opens the door for investors to add extra value to your startup, beyond the money they invest.

* Listen to the full conversation on the​ MC Starutps Podcast​, and our​ YouTube channel​