Investors receive pitches from startups almost every day.

Many of these startups simply don’t match the investment thesis of the investor.

Here’s how to say no to a startup.

Respond with the same level of effort that the founder put into the outreach.

For an automated email, simply don’t respond.

For a personalized email outreach, respond with a message “thank you for your outreach, this doesn’t fit our investment thesis.  We look for” and explain your target area.

For a warm introduction, respond with what you like about the deal, but admit this doesn’t appear to be a fit.

It’s often the case that the founder will come back with more information.

In this case, respond with feedback on how to make the deal more interesting.

If the deal is missing key information, then advise the founder to include those key points.  

This provides value to the interaction between the investor and the founder. 

 

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.
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Thank you for joining your host Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing.
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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.