Guides · Updated 2026-10-16T00:00:00.000Z

How to Find Seed Investors (and Get Them to Reply)

Finding seed investors isn’t hard. Finding the right ones and getting a meeting is. Here’s a process that works.

Where to look

  • Seed funds and accelerators. Start with our list of seed funds and accelerators.
  • Founders one or two years ahead of you. Ask who invested in them and who was most helpful. Their investors are your best leads, and they can introduce you.
  • Angels in your industry. Operators and executives who know your market can judge you faster and often invest smaller amounts quickly.
  • Portfolio pages. If a fund backed a company in an adjacent (not competing) space, they understand your market.
  • Public databases. Crunchbase, AngelList and similar sites show who’s been investing at your stage recently.

Qualify before you reach out

For each investor, check three things: do they invest at your stage, in your sector, with a check size that fits your round? Cutting a list of 200 down to 60 good fits saves you weeks of dead-end meetings.

Get warm introductions

Investors weigh introductions by who makes them. The best come from founders they’ve backed. Make it easy: send your connector a short, forwardable email with a three-sentence description of your company and your deck link.

Cold email that works

When you don’t have an intro, a short cold email still works if it’s specific:

  • Subject: company name and one sharp traction point.
  • Line 1: what you do, in plain words.
  • Line 2: your best proof (revenue, growth, notable customers, or why your team is unusually qualified).
  • Line 3: why this investor, mentioning a relevant portfolio company or something they’ve written.
  • Ask: a 20-minute call, with your deck attached or linked.

Keep it under 120 words. Follow up once after about a week.

Track everything

Use a spreadsheet or CRM with columns for stage, last contact, next step and notes. The Seed Round Kit includes a ready-made investor CRM and eight email templates.

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice.