This two-page document provides a checklist for start-up ventures to prepare for fundraising. It includes preparing a business plan with executive summary, financial model, and implementation plan; developing investor presentations in various lengths; and assembling a diligence pack with supporting documents like customer references, market research, management details, financial statements, intellectual property information, competitor and risk analyses, and product performance data.

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Start-up Venture Fundraising Checklist
Business plan
 Cocktail party 1-liner
 Voicemail script
 1-paragraph description
 “1-pager”/overview
 2-3 page exec sum
 Full Plan (20-25 pages, plus appendices)
 Financial Model (with assumptions)
 Technology description (various formats, including ‘white
papers’)
 Implementation/Action Plan for next 90 days
 Milestone plan over next 18 months
 Website online and up to date
 Google search on company name and senior executives not
embarrassing; supports the business proposition and the
stated background of the team
Investor Presentation
 20-30 min version (desktop/conf. room)
 8-10 min version (audience/”pitch” format)
 Elevator Pitch (30-60 sec)
Diligence Pack
 Customers ‘prepped’ to take calls/meetings
 Advisors/industry references ‘prepped’ to take calls/meetings

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 Current investors up to date on the company and prepped to
take calls/meetings
 Next hires lined up and prepped
 Market research documents supporting market size, product
strategy, pricing strategy, entry strategy
 Management resumes
 Management references list
 Management references prepped to take calls
 Financial statements and audit information
 Cap table
 Stock valuation (informal, 409A)
 Board minutes
 Prior round financing documents
 IPR (patent overview, freedom to operate analysis, trade
secret scope)
 Detailed competitor analysis (technology and products)
 Risk analysis
 Sales pipeline spreadsheet
 Product performance data (internal test, β test, user
experience)
 Manufacturing performance data (yield, failure modes,
throughput, changeover times)
 Manufacturing scale-up data