DocSend’s fourth annual pre-seed report is now available. We study unique pitch deck data to analyze changes in startup fundraising rounds over time, and identify emerging trends to help founders prepare for the ever-changing and uniquely grueling experience of fundraising.
2022-23 Pre-seed fundraising report
지금 다운로드Macroeconomic conditions continue to be challenging, and startup founders aiming to raise capital in 2023 face an uphill battle. The data shows that early-stage deals have been hit especially hard: year-over-year funding for these new startups dropped by about half in Q2 2023. Investors making pre-seed deals are focusing intently on long-term profitability over shorter-term growth, and startups at this earliest stage need to show a sustainable path to profitability, decreasing VCs’ investment risk.
Our 2022-23 report shows that risk aversion is driving VC funding decisions, meaning that founders need to sharpen their storytelling and demonstrate traction to instill confidence in VCs and stand out.
As investor activity wanes while fundraising competition remains fierce, how can pre-seed founders succeed in a hyper-competitive landscape? Here are some key insights and takeaways from our research to give founders a leg up:
Pre-seed founders: How to succeed in fundraising
- Shift from growth to profitability to minimize risk
- Our data shows VCs leaning in on traction, business model, and financials sections in 2023.
- Roadmap your product’s path to long-term success
- Successful pre-seed companies linked their product and business model sections at the start of their decks, showing how monetization flows from their unique solution.
- Show how your traction and monetization plans are integrated
- VCs gave more scrutiny to the business model and traction sections in decks that didn’t get funded. Be sure that you’re putting your business’ best foot forward here.
- Avoid elaborate pre-seed competition sections
The competition section saw the biggest year-over-year drop in investor scrutiny. Streamline your efforts on sections that investors care about more.
Download our 2022-23 pre-seed report to get the full scoop into how today’s fundraising climate has changed, and how to adjust your fundraising strategy and pitch deck for maximum success.
