You want an investor introduction, but you’re not sure how to ask, or what to send when someone says “sure, send me something I can forward”.
My work includes investor research and outreach for founders who have raised $10M+. A useful introduction begins with a clear fit: why this investor, what the business has demonstrated and what the funding should make possible.
Give the reader a precise picture of the company today and the milestone ahead. That makes the note easier to forward and gives the investor a concrete reason to respond.
Explain what the money would change
Name the next milestone in practical terms: finishing a product test, proving customers come back, or building a repeatable way to sell. The right milestone depends on your business and stage.
Separate the work needed to reach it from the evidence you already have. If you have no paying customers yet, say so. An interested buyer, a trial user, a signed purchase commitment and money received are four different signals, and investors read them differently.
Venture funding isn’t right for every business. Many good Indian businesses grow best on customer revenue, a bank loan or a government scheme. Y Combinator’s seed fundraising guide and Sajith Pai’s writing on product-market fit are both useful for thinking about stage and evidence, if venture capital is the route you’re considering.
Research fit from the investor’s own words
Build a short list, not a big contact dump. For each investor, note where and when they described their stage, geography and sector focus, plus any relevant portfolio companies and any possible conflict.
Scroll across to compare every column.
| Fit question | Evidence to look for |
|---|---|
| Do they invest at this stage? | Their current mandate, application page or recent investments |
| Do they understand this market? | Published sector focus and related portfolio companies |
| Why this particular person? | A specific link to your customer or your next milestone |
| What’s still uncertain? | An unconfirmed mandate, missing information or a possible conflict |
Public descriptions change, so confirm the important details once a conversation starts. A famous name with no real fit rarely becomes a useful introduction.
Write a note someone can forward
Here’s an invented example of a forwardable note:
“We’re building a document-collection tool for small bookkeeping firms in India. Today they chase clients for documents over email and spreadsheets, so missing papers are hard to track.
We’ve spoken with 18 firms and run three pilots. One firm paid ₹12,000 for its pilot; the other two were free. We haven’t yet shown retention or a repeatable way to win customers.
Our next milestone is to test paid renewals and onboarding effort with this group. We’re exploring whether outside funding is right for that work.
Your published focus on early B2B software is why we’d value a conversation. If this fits your current mandate, would you be open to looking at our short deck?”
The note names the problem, the evidence and the next milestone. Add the amount you are raising, the runway it funds and a specific reason the investor fits your round.
Keep your materials consistent
Your note, deck and numbers should describe the same business. Label time periods, define what you count as revenue, and separate money received from unpaid invoices and projections. If you mention a partnership, state its real status: a conversation, a trial and a signed agreement are very different.
Don’t send a big folder of private documents with your first message. Share what fits that stage and ask what the recipient actually needs.
Ask before you use someone’s relationship
Send your draft note to the person you’re asking for the introduction. Explain why the fit looks relevant, and make it easy for them to decline. They may know something about that investor that you can’t see from a public profile.
Agree what they’re comfortable saying about you. A good introduction describes what they actually know about your business, not results they haven’t checked.
If the note is hard to write
Look at which blank is holding you up. If you can’t name the milestone, work on the spending decision first. If your evidence is mostly compliments, design a clearer demand test. If investor fit is vague, research that before asking for introductions. Better wording alone won’t settle those questions.
You might also decide this milestone is better funded another way. Writing the note is valuable even when it helps you postpone the round.
Make the introduction easy to act on
Send the introducer the forwardable note, the investor’s name and one sentence explaining the fit. Ask whether they are comfortable making the connection. Once introduced, reply in the same thread with your note and a specific next step.
Message to the introducer
“I noticed you know this investor. Their published focus on early B2B software matches the company we are building. I have included a short note below with our current traction and the milestone for this round. Would you be comfortable forwarding it?”
Use a decline to narrow the next search: stage, sector, cheque size and timing are useful reasons. Keep a record of the reason rather than sending the same pitch to a larger list.
Questions you may have
Is Kapil Gaud an investor?
Kapil works on investor research, positioning and outreach. The investor decides whether to invest; the founder leads the fundraising process.
Do I need a pitch deck before asking for an introduction?
Not for the first ask. A short forwardable note is more useful. Have a brief deck ready for when an investor asks for more.
How early is too early to talk to investors?
It depends on what you need the money for. If you can’t yet name a milestone the money would unlock, start by testing demand with customers. That evidence makes every later conversation easier.
Unsure whether to raise at all?
That’s a great place to start. Send me: “We’re building ___ and have evidence of ___. The next milestone is ___. I’m unsure whether to seek funding yet.” A public summary is enough; no deck needed.
Read next: stronger evidence starts with customers, so find where your customers stop.
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