Raising Pre-Seed to Seed stage capital from top US Venture Investors is a daunting task especially if you are a first time or Non-US founder. As seasoned investors, venture capital educators and venture ecosystem builders, we have designed GoingVC’s Investment Readiness Program (IRP) to tackle this issue.
How We Help Founders?
The core objective of IRP is to help founders secure US-based lead investors and co-investors and accelerate the completion of their pre-seed or seed stage funding round. We have designed the IRP on three pillars: Prepare, Connect and Execute.
Prepare: Throughout the program you will receive hands-on training via interactive sessions by veteran VCs and Founders on fundamental topics pertaining to fundraising such as creating your pitch assets, data room, financial model, cap table, valuation, forming a board and exit planning. Our aim is to equip you with skills and knowledge that will game change all your future fundraising endeavors.
Connect: We will leverage our proprietary network of relationships with VCs and Angels to make relevant warm introductions to accelerate your fundraising journey. You will get in front of the right investors in your space. Since our cohort sizes are small, we will strive to arrange one-to-one meetings with potential lead and co-investors during the program.
Execute: Knowledge and introductions are necessities for fundraising, but execution is critical. Our team of experienced investors will guide you every step of your fundraising journey, mentoring you to ensure that you are setup for success when presenting your material to the VC’s and help secure the most favorable terms for your round.
This is a highly selective program, with a small cohort size of up to 5 companies only.
Program Structure
The duration of the program is six months. The program is a blend of highly interactive lectures from seasoned venture investors and ongoing support from the GVC Team where we will identify relevant investors from our network, set up 1:1 meet and provide hands-on support to help you get the best terms for your round. The lectures will have the following topics:
- The Behind-the-scenes VC Investment Process
- Creating Winning Pitching Assets
- Due Diligence & Data Room Preparation
- Early Stage Valuation
- Creating your Financial Model
- Forming Your Board
- How to present to Investors
- Negotiation Tactics
- Exit Strategy Planning
Our Community and Network
Since 2016, we have built the leading venture capital career accelerator, mentoring 450+ professionals in their journey to become VC investors in leading US early stage funds. We have created our proprietary network of 3000+ venture investors.
We have invested and supported more than 24 companies worldwide with 2 exits (OnSpecta & Volumetric) and 1 unicorn (Quantum Metric).
We have created a unique network of global VC associates, partners, angel investors, operators and domain experts that allows us to perform due diligence faster, invest in companies across all geographies and sectors and add value beyond investment.
Some of our co-investors include:
What do our portfolio companies say about us?
"We were lucky to find GoingVC. Their network is deep, and their connections throughout the venture world are invaluable. As an early-stage startup, I highly recommend working with them and seeing how much they can help."
Ted Nyman, Co-Founder & CEO, Cased
"GoingVC Partners has been hugely helpful. Most of the early-stage capital that we subsequently raised happened through introductions from GoingVC Partners. They have arranged meetings with many key prospects and alliance partners. They are always responsive and have been great to work with."
Indra Mohan, CEO, OnSpecta (exited)
Who is this program for?
You should join this program if you are:
- Your primary pain point is fundraising from US investors
- You are a first time founder looking to raise pre-seed to seed stage capital from US VCs and investors
- You are a non-US founder looking to raise pre-seed to seed-stage capital from US VCs and investors
- Your company is in the post MVP stage with some early customers/pilots/revenue
- You have a rockstar team, product and well defined GTM strategy
We have strong conviction in the companies we select. In addition to preparing our companies with the requisite fundraising knowledge and connections, we will potentially consider investing $50,000-$100,000 in each company, subject to complete due diligence.
Ready to accelerate the completion of your funding round?
Apply nowFAQ's
Does my company need to be incorporated in the US?
We have previously invested in companies incorporated in non-US countries. While we prefer to have the headquarters of your company in the US, we are open to reviewing applications from non-US companies.
Do I need to have a lead investor?
You don’t need to have a lead investor to participate in our program.
If I have already raised capital from venture investors, can I still apply?
Yes, you can still apply for the program. You should be currently raising or planning to start the fundraising process for a pre-seed or seed round in the next 6 months.
What is the selection process?
After receiving the application, our team will go through your deck and other supplied information, and if we see a good fit and an opportunity for you to strongly benefit from the program, we will proceed with the due diligence process. Once we are convinced that our program is the right fit for your startup and the founders, we will invite you to participate in our program.
If you are referred into the program by one of our Venture Partners, the above process will still apply.
Will you take any equity?
We have strong conviction in the companies we select for our cohort. We take no equity for the program itself (alongside the program fee). But, once we invest in your company, alongside the other co-investors, we will take equity against that investment.
What is the range of investment I can receive from GVC Partners?
The first round of investment will be in the range of $50,000-$100,000. Depending on the stage, and funding requirements, we can invest more than $100,000. These investments are pending complete due diligence.
Will you do follow-on investments?
We partner with our founders for the long haul, and are always excited to continue supporting our successful founders.
What are the fees associated with this program?
Unlike other programs that take a big chunk of equity for program participation, we do not take equity for participation in the program. We however charge a participation fee of $9,999.
Do I have to pay the program fees up front?
We understand that cash is vital for early-stage companies, hence, we will structure a flexible payment plan, part of which will be upfront.
What is the mode of the program?
The program is virtual with weekly sessions and hands-on mentoring from the GVC IRP Team and mentors.
Can I apply if I have graduated from an accelerator?
Yes, you can apply. Our decision will be based on whether our program is the right fit for your company at the present stage. While the majority of accelerators focus on your startup’s overall growth (GTM, customers, product etc.), the GoingVC Investor Readiness Program focuses exclusively on the investment readiness aspect.
As stated above, the aim of this program is to educate founders with requisite knowledge about raising capital from venture investors. We, however, do not guarantee any outcome or result. Furthermore, in no way we guarantee that any participating company in the Investment Readiness Program will be able to secure any investors such as but not limited to, or lead or co-lead investor, general investors or angel investors for its fundraising round.