Raising a pre-seed or seed round: the founder's guide

Early fundraising is a sequence of decisions: when to start, which instrument, how much to give up and who to talk to — taken in order, with a free tool for each.

Step 1: Know when you need to raise

Fundraising usually takes three to six months, so start with at least six months of cash left. Example: $600k in the bank, $60k monthly burn and $15k revenue growing 8% a month gives just over a year. Check your own numbers in the runway calculator.

Step 2: Pre-seed or seed?

Pre-seed typically funds getting to early proof; seed funds scaling what's starting to work. See pre-seed vs seed for how investors usually draw the line.

Step 3: Pick the instrument

Most pre-seed money arrives on SAFEs — simple, fast, and priced later. Compare them in SAFE vs convertible note, then see what your caps and discounts mean at the next priced round with the SAFE dilution calculator.

Step 4: Model the dilution

Selling 10% at pre-seed, 20% at seed and topping up the option pool each time leaves founders with far less than the headline numbers suggest. Run your own rounds in the cap table calculator.

Step 5: Build a short, specific pitch

Investors decide quickly whether to take a meeting. Lead with who you are, one number that proves momentum and exactly what you're raising. Build a 1–6 page pitch in Pitch Studio, and see how to structure a 45-second video pitch.

Step 6: Approach investors who fit

Target investors whose stage, sector and check size match your round rather than mass-emailing. On Cofounder for Startups, investors set those filters and you only appear where you fit. Before you raise, make sure your team is in place — if you're still missing someone, find a cofounder first. This is general information, not investment or legal advice.

The Cofounder for Startups team

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