Startup Funding Espresso –Preparing Your Network for a Fundraise

Startup Funding Espresso –Preparing Your Network for a Fundraise

September 9, 2026 by investor

Preparing Your Network for a Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. One often hears of other founders raising funding in a matter of weeks. While it appears the founder raised funding with little effort, this happens because the founder spent years building relationships and curating investors. Before launching a fundraise, be sure to prepare your network. Many founders raising funding go to people they don’t know to ask for favors they didn’t earn. While a few investors will do this, it won’t go very far. Instead, research the market to identify the investors in the community. Then meet key investors and provide value in exchange for the time they spent. This process will take time, so give yourself at least six months to prepare your network. Building out a list of fifty investors you know and have helped will prepare your network for a fundraise. Helping people includes making introductions, coaching on how to do their job better, and helping them find people to hire. This builds the relationship and provides value first. Consider how to prepare your network for a fundraiser. 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.


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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.