How to write the perfect introductory email that will secure you a meeting with investors

Founders Supporting Founders: Iterative is accepting applications for its next batch of founders. Funding is the least important thing it does for you.

Finding the right investor for your startup requires a solid business plan, plenty of hustle, and that basic step of sending emails.

All founders, at one point or another, find themselves initiating contact with people they barely know – and that includes sending a warm or cold email to a well-known venture capitalist.

Photo credit: Damian Zaleski

Unfortunately, it’s easy to make mistakes in an email, which can lead to a poor first impression.

Here’s a simple and straightforward template for reaching out to investors that would catch their attention.

“Hi XYZ,

I hope my email finds you well.

I am contacting you as I know XYZ from your portfolio company XYZ.”

These first lines are polite and to the point. You could also explain why you are contacting them by talking about their latest investment that has some similarities with your company.

More importantly, these lines are professional. People often use gimmicky introductions to grab an investor’s attention, but while a VC may be inclined to read them, that doesn’t guarantee that they will respond to them.

“You might be interested in MY COMPANY. We are raising US$1.5 million to propel the company’s expansion and strengthen its technology development capabilities.”

This is the thesis statement, the “why” of your email. Make sure to put it within the first two or three sentences of your email, and have it go straight to the point, as VCs read hundreds of emails per day.

“I have included a high-level summary below and attached a brief teaser on MY COMPANY’s progress.”