How to Raise Seed Funding in 90 Days: From Pitch Deck to Term Sheet

The harsh reality of startups might surprise you – 30% fail because they can’t get enough funding. Your success as a founder depends on your ability to raise seed funding effectively.

Most seed rounds bring in $2 million to $3 million. Getting this capital has become tougher lately. Seed fundraising hit its peak in 2021 but has dropped significantly since then. A strategic approach to fundraising matters more than ever.

The stakes are high. Cash flow problems cause 82% of business failures. With an average gap of 23 months between seed and Series A rounds, your original funding must be adequate and perfectly timed.

A detailed 90-day roadmap will guide you through the seed funding process. Our step-by-step approach helps you craft your pitch deck and close your round to maximize your chances of getting the capital your startup needs.

Are you ready to begin? Let’s tuck in!

Week 1-2: Validate Your Idea and Set Fundraising Goals

A solid grasp of what you’re building and why it matters forms the base of successful fundraising. You need to verify your idea and figure out your capital needs before you talk to investors. Here’s what you should do in weeks 1-2.

Define your problem and solution clearly

Research shows 34% of startups fail because they built products that markets didn’t need. These numbers show why you must define your problem statement before you create solutions.

Your business’s core lies in a well-crafted problem statement. You should express the challenge your startup wants to solve in one or two sentences. The statement should focus on the problem, not your proposed solution.

To verify your problem:

1. Talk to potential customers to learn their pain points
2. Look up search volume of related terms to check interest
3. Run small experiments to test your assumptions

After you confirm the problem is real and big enough, spell out your solution in specific terms. Einstein’s words ring true here: “If I had one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it”.

Estimate your funding needs and runway

Many startups don’t calculate their financing needs correctly. You should aim to get enough money to run for 18-24 months. This gives you enough time to reach key milestones before your next funding round.

To figure out your funding needs:

• Write down all one-time startup costs
• Include monthly fixed costs (rent, insurance, utilities)
• Factor in variable expenses (payroll, inventory, marketing)
• Take away projected revenue
• Add a safety buffer (usually 15-20%)

Your cash flow needs matter too. You should know how growth affects your cash burn. More than 70% of tech startups in 2017 couldn’t exit or raise more money despite growing because they didn’t plan their cash flow well.

Decide if seed funding is right for your startup

Seed funding works best when you’ve verified your idea but need money to grow. You’re ready if:

• Your product is live and shows real traction
• You have solid financial plans and a business model
• Your story shows high growth potential

But seed funding isn’t always the best way forward. You might be in “scout mode” if you’re still learning about your business model or haven’t verified key assumptions. In these cases, you might want to bootstrap, look for grants, or try pre-seed options.

You should also check if you can grow your value 2-3x between funding rounds. Investors expect this growth rate, and it will help you raise more money later.

Getting these basics right in your first two weeks builds a strong base for your funding experience. It helps you get seed investment on better terms.

Week 3-4: Build a Compelling Pitch Deck

You’ve confirmed your business idea, and now it’s time to create a pitch deck that draws investors in. Your pitch deck is more than a presentation—it tells your startup’s story in a clear and compelling way. Investors spend just 3 minutes and 44 seconds reviewing decks, so every slide must make an impact.

Key slides to include in your deck

A strong seed-round pitch deck should have these core slides:

1. Title slide: Your company name, logo, tagline, and contact information should be front and center.
2. Problem statement: Define the problem your startup solves in a way that connects with your audience. This slide shows the pain point your target customers face and why current solutions don’t work well enough.
3. Solution: Show how your product or service fixes the problem and what benefits users will get.
4. Market opportunity: Use real data to show there’s a big, growing market for your product. Your investors should see enough demand exists to build a venture-scale business.
5. Business model: Show how your startup will make money and become profitable. Include specific details about your pricing and revenue streams.
6. Competition: Be upfront about your competitors—saying you have none raises red flags. Show that you know your market and what makes you different.
7. Traction: Share your progress, customer numbers, and revenue as proof that your concept works. The best startup pitches always include this slide because it builds a strong case.
8. Team: Show why your core team members have the right skills and experience. Most investors believe skilled teams with decent ideas outperform weak teams with great ideas.
9. Funding ask: Tell investors exactly what you want and how you’ll use their money. Be clear about the amount you need for your next milestone.

Common mistakes to avoid

Watch out for these critical pitch deck errors:

• Information overload: Keep it brief—stay under 20 slides. Investors prefer clear, concise information over too many details.
• Poor design and layout: A clean, professional look makes your deck easier to read and shows competence. Bad fonts, messy layouts, or clashing colors can turn investors away.
• Lack of compelling narrative: Your deck needs to tell a story that flows naturally. Even beautiful slides fail without a strong narrative.
• Fuzzy business model: Make your revenue plan crystal clear. Investors look for well-planned approaches to making money.
• Claiming no competitors: This shows you might not understand your market. Every startup faces competition, and investors know this fact.

Tools to design and test your pitch

These tools can help you build a professional pitch deck:

• Slidebean: Their AI-powered tools and design services have helped startups raise over $500 million in just 18 months.
• Storydoc: Creates interactive presentations with animations, live graphs, and dynamic content to make your deck stand out.
• Canva: Easy to use with many templates, though it’s not just for pitch decks.

Getting feedback from potential investors or mentors is a great way to improve your deck. Keep track of how many investors move from first contact to follow-up meetings. This information helps you fine-tune your presentation until it shows your vision, progress, and potential effectively.

Week 5-6: Identify and Research Potential Investors

Your 90-day fundraising experience enters a vital phase where you find the right investors for your startup. Weeks 5-6 focus on building a strategic investor list and getting a full picture to boost your chances of securing seed funding.

Create a target investor list

You need to build a focused investor list through complete research. Most fundraises fail because founders don’t connect with the right investors. A round closes after founders talk to over 150 investors. This makes a broad target list essential.

Create a spreadsheet to track these key details about each potential investor:

• Investment focus and preferred industries
• Typical check size range
• Stage priorities (early, growth, late)
• Recent investments in your sector
• Geographic priorities
• Alignment with your company’s goals

Note that your list should be big—about 100x your round size. To name just one example, a $1M raise needs $100M worth of investors on your shortlist.

Use Crunchbase, AngelList, and warm intros

These powerful tools help you identify suitable investors:

Crunchbase has detailed profiles of companies with funding history, leadership team information, and industry trends. Founders can use it to track funding rounds, identify key players in specific industries, and learn about the competitive landscape. The platform gives personalized recommendations and lets you set custom alerts to monitor companies that interest you.

AngelList helps you connect with angel investors. It has a curated list of startups seeking funding and makes the investment process easier. You can find early-stage investors interested in your sector here.

Warm introductions are a big deal as it means that your chances of success increase. VCs prefer these intros since they get hundreds of cold emails weekly. Your best approach is to get introductions from other founders, previous investors, or mutual connections who can vouch for you. When asking for warm intros, write a forwardable email that has links to the target’s LinkedIn profile, specific language showing your research, and a clear ask.

Match investors to your industry and stage

Different investors look for different things. Finding investors who match your startup’s stage matters—venture capital firms look for mature companies, while angel investors work with earlier stages.

Look for investors with strong results in your specific market. Think about these factors when assessing potential backers:

• Does their expertise line up with your industry?
• Have they backed businesses at your growth stage before?
• Can they bring more than funding, like strategic insights or connections?
• Do they have proven success with similar companies?

Seed funding needs investors who actively invest in your sector and feel comfortable with your business model. Looking at investors’ portfolios helps you find those who have funded companies like yours at your stage.

Your fundraising time matters—put your energy into reaching investors who will likely want what your startup offers.

Week 7-8: Start Outreach and Book Investor Meetings

Your next step in the fundraising process starts after preparing your investor list. The outreach phase spans weeks 7-8 where you’ll connect with potential investors through carefully crafted emails and productive first calls.

How to write effective cold emails

Cold emails can work surprisingly well when done right. Investors typically spend just 60 seconds reading an email, so being concise is significant. A compelling investor email should:

• Keep your message under 60-125 words for optimal response rates
• Focus on your problem, solution, traction, and market size
• Use a company email address with your name in it
• Track opens to gauge interest and optimize follow-ups

You should avoid asking for in-person meetings right away, sending too many follow-ups quickly, or failing to describe your company’s purpose clearly. Note that personalization matters—show investors you’ve researched them and understand why your specific venture might interest them.

What to say in your first call

The main goal of your first investor call is simple: get to the second meeting. Most first calls have a similar structure—5-10 minutes for introductions followed by discussion about your business.

Research the investor’s background before the call—check their LinkedIn and Twitter to understand their interests. You should know your pitch by heart so you can be flexible. This preparation helps you adapt when investors interrupt with questions, which often signals their positive engagement.

Your answers should be brief while conveying 3 key points you want investors to remember. The call should end with questions about their concerns and a clear understanding of their next steps.

How to create urgency and FOMO

Fear of missing out influences investor decisions more than almost anything else. These steps create legitimate urgency:

1. Schedule meetings with multiple investors close together
2. Book most calls over a dense 3-4 week period
3. Define clear start and end dates for your fundraising process

Growing interest should be used wisely. Let other investors know you’re in talks with others (without naming names) to create healthy competition. This “whisper effect” naturally occurs as investors discuss promising deals among themselves.

In the end, investors don’t want to miss the next big opportunity. A well-managed process where multiple offers arrive simultaneously puts you in a stronger position for negotiations and better terms.

Week 9-12: Negotiate Terms and Close the Round

Congratulations! Your outreach efforts have paid off with investor interest. You’re now in the final stretch—negotiating and closing your seed funding.

Understand SAFE notes and term sheets

Term sheets lay out the main points of an investment offer without being legally binding. They show your company’s valuation, investment amount, and what rights investors get. While term sheets are common in priced rounds, you can use them for simpler funding too.

SAFE notes (Simple Agreement for Future Equity) have become the go-to choice for early-stage startups. Created in 2013, SAFEs are better than convertible notes because they:

• Don’t have maturity dates like convertible debt
• Cost less in legal fees and close faster
• Make documentation simple

The valuation cap and discount rate matter a lot in SAFEs. These numbers decide how investors turn their money into equity in your next round. Most SAFEs now (about 85%) use the “post-money” version. Investors like this better because they end up owning more when converting.

How to handle investor objections

Investors will raise concerns, and your response makes all the difference. Listen carefully when they object. Show respect by acknowledging their point of view before you answer.

Here’s how to tackle specific concerns:

• Market size worries? Show them your niche’s growth potential with solid research.
• Questions about your team? Highlight your unique skills and relevant background.
• Tech concerns? Show how your solution stands apart from others.

Turn objections into chances to share more information. After you respond, check if you’ve cleared their doubts with a follow-up question.

Finalizing legal documents and wiring funds

After agreeing on terms, you’ll need three key documents: the Shareholders Agreement, Articles of Association, and Disclosure Letter. These papers make your investor relationship official.

Set up a data room with your company formation papers, past financing documents, employee contracts, and customer agreements. Investors need these for due diligence.

Talk to your lawyers and the lead investor’s team daily during closing. Send updates to other investors every 4-5 days to keep things moving.

On closing day, actively collect signatures—don’t wait for investors to sign or send money on their own. DocuSign makes signing easier. Keep an eye on your bank account for incoming funds.

Conclusion

A successful seed funding round demands careful planning, strategic execution, and persistence over a 90-day process. Each vital phase requires attention – from proving your idea to closing the round.

Your preparation before meeting investors determines success. You need a compelling pitch deck supported by solid market research and clear financial projections. These elements create the foundation for productive investor conversations.

Smart targeting and outreach strategies substantially increase your chances to secure funding. Fundraising works like a numbers game – most founders speak with more than 150 investors before closing a round. Your synchronized meetings should create legitimate urgency to keep the momentum going.

The final outcome depends on how well you handle investor concerns and negotiate favorable terms. Keep your documentation detailed, stay on top of due diligence, and communicate clearly until the money reaches your account.

This complete guide will help you confidently secure seed funding. These strategies, when implemented properly, position you well to get the capital your startup needs to grow.

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