How to find investors for your pre-seed round

Raising capital is hard not because money doesn't exist, but because it's difficult to see who is relevant, active and aligned at any given moment. At pre-seed this is even harder: you have little traction to show, and many investors who say they "do early stage" rarely write the first cheque.

This guide is a simple process for turning that noise into a short, realistic list.

1. Start from your round, not from famous names

Write down two things before you look at any investor:

• Your round: pre-seed.
• The amount you are raising, as a range.

Every filter that follows hangs off these two numbers. An investor who only writes cheques several times larger than your whole round is not a fit, however well known they are.

2. Filter by stage and cheque size

The first cut is mechanical:

• Stage: keep funds that invest at the earliest stages. Many funds list a broad "early stage" focus, so check that pre-seed or seed is actually part of it.
• Cheque size: keep funds whose typical cheque fits inside your range.

On Capital Atlas you can do this on the funds search: filter by stage and cheque size, or tell us what you're raising and we'll match you with funds whose stage and cheque size fit your round.

3. Check that they are still deploying

A fund that has finished investing its current vehicle will not take your meeting, however good the fit looks on paper. Two signals help:

• Dry powder: capital a fund has raised but not yet invested. Funds with dry powder are still writing cheques.
• Recent deals: a fund that has led or joined rounds recently, in companies like yours, is active now.

Capital Atlas shows dry powder and investment activity on each fund's profile, so you can see who is actively deploying capital.

4. Narrow by sector and geography

Now cut the list to investors who would recognise your company as theirs:

• Sector focus: funds that back companies in your space understand the market and can help beyond the cheque.
• Geography: many pre-seed investors only invest in certain countries or regions. Filter by where you are incorporated and where you operate.

At this point the list should be short enough that you can read about every fund on it.

5. Prioritise and research

Sort what is left into tiers:

• Tier 1: clear fit on stage, cheque, sector and geography, and recent activity.
• Tier 2: strong fit on most criteria.
• Tier 3: worth a try later in the process.

For each Tier 1 fund, read its portfolio and recent deals. Note why your company fits: this becomes the first line of your outreach.

6. Reach out with context

Pre-seed investors decide quickly whether a company is in their focus. Make that easy:

• Say what you are raising and how much.
• Say why their fund specifically: a portfolio company, a thesis or a recent deal.
• Keep it short and link your deck.

Track every conversation in one place, so you know who you contacted, who replied and what comes next.

Build your list

Tell us what you're raising and we'll match you with funds actively deploying capital, then use the funds search to filter by stage, cheque size, dry powder, geography and sector.