Craft Killer Cold Emails to VCs: A Founder's Guide

Cold emailing Venture Capitalists (VCs) can be an effective fundraising strategy. However, your email must be exceptional to stand out. This guide provides actionable tips to help you write compelling cold emails that grab a VC's attention.

Key Takeaways from a VC

Startups I invested in from cold email from founder:

Salesloft (exited $2.4B)
Talkdesk ($10B)
Pipedrive (exited $1.5B)
Logikcull (exited $270m)
Owner
Mangomint

etc.

I mean it can work

Take your shot. Just make it great.

— Jason Lemkin (@jasonlk) December 2, 2024

Crafting the Perfect Cold Email

A great cold email sells the deal on its own. Follow these steps to create one:

  • Compelling Subject Line: Your subject line is crucial. Make it concise and intriguing. Examples: "$1M ARR SaaS Seeking Partner" or "Next Rippling - $500k ARR, 10x YoY Growth".

  • Immediate Impact: Start with your strongest point. Highlight your traction, growth, or team. Example: "We're at $2M ARR, growing 10% MoM, and just signed our first Fortune 500 customer."

  • Data-Driven Metrics: VCs value data. Share key metrics like ARR, growth rate, customer count, and churn rate. Pre-revenue startups should focus on user growth and engagement.

  • Winning Strategy: Explain your competitive advantage. Highlight your team's expertise, unique product features, or market opportunity.

  • Personalized Approach: Show you've researched the VC. Reference relevant tweets, blog posts, or investments. This demonstrates genuine interest.

  • Complete Pitch Deck: Attach your full pitch deck. Ensure it's concise, visually appealing, and tells a compelling story.

  • Clear Call to Action: State your fundraising goals and request a meeting. Example: "We're raising $2M to scale. Available for a 20-minute call next week?"

Example Cold Email

Subject: $1M ARR SaaS Startup Growing 15% MoM—Looking for a Partner

Hi Jason,

I'm the CEO of [Startup Name], a SaaS platform helping [specific customer segment] solve [specific pain point]. We're at $1M ARR, growing 15% MoM, with a 120% NRR and a 6-month payback period.

We just signed [notable customer] and are seeing strong demand in [specific market]. My co-founder and I have deep experience in [relevant domain], and we're uniquely positioned to win this $X billion market.

I saw your investment in [similar company] and your post about [relevant topic]. We're tackling a similar challenge with a different approach. I'd love to get your thoughts.

We're raising $2M to scale sales and marketing. Would you be open to a 20-minute call next week? I've attached our deck for more details.

Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Your Contact Info]

Further Resources

Learn from successful cold email examples: 2 Cold Emails I Funded For Millions

Discover which VCs are open to cold emails: Which VCs Open Cold Emails?