Startup Funding Espresso – Starting a Relationship With an Investor

Startup Funding Espresso – Starting a Relationship With an Investor

June 15, 2026 by investor

Starting a Relationship With an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding from an early-stage investor, the founder must build a relationship with that investor. Here are some key steps to starting a relationship with an investor. Learn their background and experiences from online sources. It’s important to know their education and work experience. Research the investor by talking to their portfolio companies. Talk with mutual connections to learn more. Broach the discussion about the level of support the investor can provide. Adjust the expectations you have for the investor. Check their interest in joining an advisory board. In the early stages, this is often an informal board that meets from time to time to discuss key issues. Actively solicit feedback from the investor and make clear it’s always invited. Set up a time to meet on a regular basis in person. Finally, find a mutual interest outside of work so the discussion can focus on other things from time to time. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let’s go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.


Copyright (c) 2026, Hall Martin and investorconnect.org. All rights reserved.

Disclaimer:
Hall T Martin is the director of Investor Connect, which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to the education of investors for early-stage funding. All opinions expressed by Hall and podcast guests are solely their own opinions and do not reflect the opinion of Investor Connect. This podcast is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon for the basis of investment decisions.