How Do You Get in Front of Investors When You're Not Well Connected? - 8/13/2026

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📰 Today's Edition: How Do You Get in Front of Investors When You're Not Well Connected?

You need to raise money. You don't know any investors. Every article you read says "get warm intros," but you literally don't have any connections to leverage.

You can absolutely get in front of investors without a network. It just takes more work. 

Should you build a list first?

Yes. Start with a long list.

The biggest mistake founders make is thinking they'll just "reach out to a few VCs." You need volume. Build a list of 150-300 relevant investors before you send a single email. The key is relevant. 

Don't just pick the brand names who will not invest in you for three years. Some of them may be on your list, but think about who is most relevant to you for your stage and for what you are working on. 

There are incredible free resources to help you build this list. NFX built an entire free platform to help entrepreneurs find investors who match their thesis.

AngelList and Crunchbase continue to be useful directories. X also has tons of investor lists that other founders have compiled. There's no shortage of investors to pitch.

But building the list takes real time and effort. Don't skip this step.

How do you actually connect with investors?

Once you have your list, you need a strategy.

The traditional advice is to get warm introductions. And yes, warm intros are better when you can get them. But what if you can't?

Online events are hugely underrated. If you have the time, host a podcast, webinar, or virtual event and invite investors as speakers or guests. People love being featured. That's your hook to get in front of investors remotely and build relationships before you need them.

But sometimes you don't have that time. 

X or LinkedIn conversations work better than you think. VCs spend an enormous amount of time on the platform. They often respond to questions and comments. Engage thoughtfully with their content. Build relationships over time.

They're legitimate ways to get on someone's radar before you need something from them.

Does cold email actually work?

Yes. Good cold emails can work in today's world.

But it has to be really good. Investors receive hundreds of emails.

Keep it concise. Thirty seconds or less to read. Most investors receive hundreds of emails per week, and good investors get hundreds per day.

Personalize every email. Show you did your homework. Sending 100 copy-pasted emails gets you a 1% conversion rate. 

Lead with your strength. Maybe you were employee number three at Facebook. Maybe you ran a consulting business in this domain. Maybe you have a specific impressive metric. It's hard to get attention, so you need to come out punching with the best things about yourself and your company up front. 

Your call to action should be low friction. Don't ask for coffee or a vague meeting. Ask if they have 15 minutes in the next two weeks and make it easy for them to say yes.

And, make sure you're reaching out to investors who actually invest in your stage, sector, and geography. Emailing a life sciences investor about your e-commerce brand is a waste of everyone's time.

When should you follow up?

Always. Relentless and polite follow-up really does work.

At Hustle Fund, we followed up with one of our fund investors 13 times before we heard a response. Thirteen emails. And then they invested.

No response is not a no. People are busy. Emails get lost. They might miss your message entirely.

Wait a few days between follow-ups. Don't spam, but don't be shy either.

Each follow-up should add value. Share a new milestone. Mention a relevant piece of press. Update them on traction. Give them a reason to open the email beyond "just checking in."

How long does this actually take?

Longer than you want. That's the honest answer.

Founders often reach out to 100+ VCs and angel investors to secure funding from just 1-2 VCs and a handful of angels.

This is why you need a long list. This is why follow-up matters.

The process is time consuming. Start now. Build your list starting today over the next few weeks. Fundraising takes a long time, and the preparation for it takes a long time. 

One response leads to one meeting. One meeting leads to one check. That's how it starts.

Until next time,

Dunky, the "relentlessly following up" hippocorn

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