Most pre-seed applications are short, so every answer carries weight. Here’s what investors look for when they read one, and how to make yours easy to say yes to.
A team that’s already building
At this stage investors back people before ideas. Show that you are already working on it: a prototype, customer interviews, a landing page or a pilot. Say why your background fits this problem. If you have a co-founder, explain who does what.
A problem people have today
Describe the problem in plain words, from your customer’s point of view. Who has it, how often, and what do they do about it now? If you can’t name the type of person who has this problem, investors will struggle too.
Honest traction
Traction doesn’t have to mean revenue. At pre-seed it can be:
- people on a waitlist
- active users, even a few dozen
- pilots or trials with businesses
- letters of intent
- first paying customers
What matters is the direction. “40 users, up from 10 last month” says more than “40 users”. Be honest about what the numbers are. Investors notice when a waitlist is described as customers. Our guide to traction before revenue has more ideas.
A clear plan for the money
“Product development and marketing” doesn’t tell anyone much. Name the milestones instead: “Launch the paid version, reach 50 paying customers and hire a part-time developer within nine months.” Then show roughly how the money is split.
A reason it can grow
Investors want to see how a small business could become a big one. That doesn’t mean a giant market-size slide. Explain how you’ll reach customers and why each new customer won’t cost as much as the last.
Mistakes that weaken an application
- Long answers that bury the point. Short and specific wins.
- Claiming there’s no competition. There is always an alternative, even if it’s a spreadsheet.
- Asking for an amount with no plan behind it.
- Waiting for a perfect deck. Clear answers matter more.
How we read applications
That covers what investors look for in general. At Getfund-startup we read every application against four questions: is it relevant, marketable, scalable and sellable? If it looks like a fit, we invite you to an interview, and you’ll hear our decision within 2 to 4 weeks of that interview.
Ready? You can apply for funding in one sitting, or save your spot and come back to it later.
