Okay, so here’s the lowdown: New year, new… fundraising headaches? Yeah, probably. 2025 is your big chance to wipe the slate clean, ditch old strategies that went nowhere, and hatch a plan that’s actually gonna work. Fundraising now is like trying to thread a needle in a hurricane. It’s chaos out there. Your resolutions? Dare to be prepared, like excessively.
First off, don’t run out of money halfway down the runway. The plane needs to take off, right? Big shocker, fundraising isn’t a magic ATM spitting out cash instantly. Our survey says: over 54%, yep, more than half, took longer than they thought. Only a teeny 17% got lucky. So, suck it up and stash those pennies. Angel dude Phil McSweeney tells it like it is: prepare to scrape by for a year while waiting for cash to rain down.
Set up a data room. No, not a room made of data, but a place where all your numbers and proof of awesomeness can live. Don’t just wing it when investors start poking holes in your pitch. Matthew Louis (some senior guy at AIN with a penchant for tough questions) wants you to prove your 3x revenue leap isn’t just a pipe dream.
Talk to heavy-hitting investors. Know your sector inside out by getting insights straight from those shelling out the dough. If you’re in B2B SaaS, figure out if they care about contracts’ lengths, current revenues, or your pie-in-the-sky projections.
And please, for the love of everything holy, make your deck not look like your dog used it as a chew toy. Error-ridden slides are just gonna make you look sloppy. Investment manager Addy Windsor-Clive is clear: get your act together, first impressions are everything!
Now, nurture your brain! Fundraising is rough, it’ll push you to the edge. Over half of our startups said it took a toll on their mental health. Chat it out, meditate, find zen in chaos—basically, do what keeps you sane.
On the flip side, here’s what to AVOID: Don’t play hide and seek with your financials. Throw in numbers, even if they’re just scribbles on a napkin. Investors need something to chew on, otherwise, they’re not biting. Caparros, top broker mauled by missing numbers, insists forecasts show you’re not running blind in the fog.
And don’t assume this is still peak 2021 where valuations were pumped and flush with zeros. The investor purse strings have tightened. Ballester (angel investor extraordinaire) suggests downsizing your raise. Smaller bites—like £750k versus £1.5m—might just save your bacon.
Avoid embellishing your traction story like a bad soap opera. Investors will spot a bluff from a mile away. If you’re claiming victory with big contracts, make sure you’ve got unshakable proof.
Lastly, don’t rush to the VC pool before you’ve learned to swim properly. Too early and you’re not ready to dip your toes in; goof up here and future funding’s gonna look bleak. Hailey Eustace puts it bluntly: prepare diligently those six months beforehand—no faffing, no fluffing.
Look, the brave do it right from the start. So, let’s kick 2025 off with some gusto and put these nuggets of wisdom to work. Find that batch of angel investors who’ll catapult your startup into stardom. ‘Cause out there in the Angel Investment Network jungle, opportunities are ripe for the taking. Just gotta leap, sometimes without looking.
