Climbing Up: Finding the Right Investors for Your Next-Level Startup

Being part of a startup, you know that raising capital and finding partners and clients requires a clear and inspiring message.

But how do you find the right people to help you achieve your vision?

Here are my top 5 tips on how to find the right investors to take your startup to the next level

Know your investors

Before you tell your story, it's important to know who will listen. Pitching the same way to everyone means that you aren't taking into account who's listening. While it might work sometimes, you will do far better in knowing whom you're talking to. So ask yourself, and do the due-diligence - What type of companies have your potential investors invested in? What are their investment strategies, and their preferred stage of investment? What are they looking for in a company? What are their goals with their investments? What do they consider to be positive and negative aspects? What are they requirements and 'must-haves' for companies?

Not only does this help you narrow down your list of potential investors and ensure that you're targeting those who are a good fit for your business, but it also helps you pitch the right way, and tell your story in a form that will engage your potential investors.

Build relationships

Investors are more likely to invest in a startup whose CEO they know and trust. Take the time to build relationships with potential investors before you ask for funding. Attend networking events like the yearly Ourcrowd Summit, connect and engage on LinkedIn, and sit down with relevant people for a cup of coffee, anything to can to acquaint yourself better with your ecosystem.

Building a strong relationship early on can help establish trust and increase the likelihood of securing funding in the future.

Most people fail at this stage because they are looking for a direct ROI, not knowing that while you might not have found a direct match for your goal, you might have met someone with whom you can mutually benefit in the future.

If you want to be inspired by someone who is doing it right - follow Hillel Fuld .

Know your story

Tell your story again and again, build it up and tear it apart, have your friends, co-workers, and even consultants review it and then improve it. Make sure your pitch is clear, and concise, and highlights the key benefits of your business.

And while telling an engaging story is crucial, make sure to always back it up with data, so that you don't lose potential investors when it's time for due diligence, meaning, be prepared to answer tough questions and provide detailed information about your financial projections, strategy, and market.

Use your network

In Israel, we have an expression, it's called 'Kombina'. Now while I have heard it used in many associations, they way I tend to translate it would be to 'use your relationships to accomplish something'.

Don't underestimate the power of your existing network. If you adapt a lifestyle of investing in your relationships, blessings others without demanding anything in return, and not shying away from meeting new people (Yes, I know, my fellow introverts, it's not easy), I have seen from personal experience and witnessed countless times, how knowing the right people helps you achieve things you otherwise wouldn't consider possible.

Consider every kind of partnership

In addition to investors, strategic partnerships can be a valuable source of funding for your startup. Value and success can come from bringing in partners that bring you to new markets, and new audiences, or improve your corporation to climb to the next level. Here you can look for companies in your industry or complementary industries that may benefit from partnering with your business. Thinking outside the box at this stage is highly recommended, as the opportunities is virtually endless.

With these 5 points, I'll throw in a piece of advice from my father, that he gives me whenever I hesitate to do something new:

"Every task can be split up into two parts - starting and finishing - and sometimes, the former is more difficult than the latter, so don't hesitate getting over the first hurdle."