Most chilly outreach goes unanswered. That’s simply the brutal reality of fundraising.
However from time to time, a chilly pitch breaks by means of—not as a result of it’s flashy or gimmicky, however as a result of it’s clear, compelling, and considerate. Our most up-to-date funding at Remagine Ventures began precisely like that: a chilly e mail from a founder in stealth mode, with no prior connection, no heat introduction, and no prestigious model title on their resume.
We not solely took the assembly—we ended up main the spherical.
This expertise bolstered one thing I’ve believed for years: whereas heat introductions actually assist, they shouldn’t be a barrier to entry. Expertise and perception emerge from surprising locations. The most effective founders don’t all the time have in depth networks, however they do have three issues in abundance: readability of imaginative and prescient, relentless execution, and the power to inform a compelling story in a crowded inbox.
Let me be direct in regards to the odds. I obtain 400-500 chilly emails yearly. I attempt to reply to most (generally it’s a fast no), just a few dozen end in conferences, and 1-2 result in funding. That’s a 0.3% success charge.
However right here’s the factor: it’s not zero. And for founders with out networks, or a direct solution to get an intro, it could be your finest shot.
What Makes a Chilly Pitch Stand Out?
After studying hundreds of chilly emails, I’ve recognized 5 non-negotiable components that separate sign from noise:
1. Laser-sharp downside definition
Inform me in a single crisp sentence: what downside are you fixing, and for whom? “We’re constructing productiveness software program” tells me nothing. “We’re eliminating the 3-hour each day admin burden for small medical practices” tells me the whole lot.
2. Distinctive perception or unfair benefit
What do you perceive about this market that others miss? Why are you uniquely positioned to win? This isn’t about credentials—it’s about perspective. The founder who cold-emailed us had spent 5 years in buyer assist and recognised patterns that product groups had been blind to.
3. Proof of execution
Have you ever constructed one thing folks really use? Early traction doesn’t have to be huge, nevertheless it must be actual. “We’ve got 50 energy customers who pay us $200/month and grew 25% final month” beats “We undertaking $10M ARR by yr three”. I’m all the time reluctant when founders pitch on an thought however didn’t roll up their sleeves to speak to potential prospects.
4. Grounded imaginative and prescient
I need to perceive your long-term ambition, nevertheless it should be tethered to a plausible path ahead. Present me the stepping stones, not simply the vacation spot.
5. The best tone
Assured however humble. Formidable however practical. You don’t want all of the solutions, however show that you simply’re asking the fitting questions and doing the exhausting work to seek out them.
Easy methods to Immediately Kill Your Chilly Pitch
There are many templates on the market for crafting good chilly emails (if not, simply ask your trusted LLM for one), however there’s a lengthy checklist of ‘Don’ts’ that can instantly kill your chilly strategy. Listed below are a number of the widespread errors to keep away from. I’ll attempt to make clear what I’m personally searching for as properly.
Geographic mismatch: Pitching a US-only VC while you’re primarily based in Southeast Asia with no US plans. Verify fund geography earlier than hitting ship. We make investments globally, however primarily in Israeli-founded startups (with some exceptions).
Stage disconnect: Sending your $5M ARR firm to a pre-seed fund. Stage alignment isn’t optionally available. The explanation for it’s that almost all funds have a typical test measurement, for which they count on to get a minimal fairness stake. We make investments primarily as first test buyers, pre-seed and infrequently seed.
Sector blindness: Pitching enterprise software program to a consumer-only fund. This takes 30 seconds to analysis on their web site. We spend money on each B2B and B2C startups.
Portfolio conflicts: Reaching out once they have already got a direct competitor of their portfolio. A easy portfolio scan would save everybody time.
Zero personalisation: “Pricey Sir/Madam” or generic copy-paste templates like “Hello, {{First Title}}” are instantly deleted. In case you can’t spend 2 minutes personalising, why ought to I spend 2 minutes studying?
The spray-and-pray strategy: Sending similar emails to 200 VCs, generally placing everybody in Bcc. We discuss to one another—belief me, we discover.
LinkedIn is a good way to get in contact, however e mail works as properly.
In case you’re constructing one thing significant and lack the right community, don’t let that cease you. Analysis correctly, write clearly, and press ship.
A few of us are nonetheless studying.
P.S. In case you’re constructing in gaming, leisure tech, or next-gen shopper experiences (particularly AI native), we’re actively looking for bold founders on the earliest phases. Don’t hesitate to succeed in out—chilly emails welcome.
I am a former basic companion at google ventures, head of Google for Entrepreneurs in Europe and founding head of Campus London, Google’s first bodily hub for startups.
I am additionally the founding father of Techbikers, a non-profit bringing collectively the startup ecosystem on biking challenges in assist of Room to Learn. Since inception in 2012 we have constructed 11 colleges and 50 libraries within the creating world.
