Created by Gergana Stoichkova

Hey, Geri here,

A few words about me: I spent 5 years as a VC at one of the leading funds in SEE, where I reviewed thousands of ideas, sat through hundreds of pitches, and invested in a number of companies. Last year I decided to embark on a new journey: sharing everything I learned along the way, and helping founders understand how VC actually works so they can close their rounds with less stress and frustration.

You can follow me on LinkedIn for (almost) daily fundraising tips and VC insights.

Why this resource?

Fundraising is a huge topic, and every investor interprets it a little differently. I spend a big part of my life educating founders on what it actually involves, but I'm also a firm believer in founders having access to good information. So I pulled together this database of every fundraising guide I've found useful over the past few years.

I hope they help you on your journey!

Best Fundraising Guides

YC: Guide to Fundraising

A guide to seed fundraising : YC Startup Library | Y Combinator

• Covers when to raise, how investors think, signs of readiness, how to structure the process, creating momentum/FOMO, valuation expectations, investor meetings, and common founder mistakes during seed fundraising.

FI: How to Raise the First Round

How to Raise the First Round of Funding for Your Startup | Fundraising Guide

• Focuses on fundraising preparation: decks, financial models, investor targeting, warm intros, defining milestones, lead investors, due diligence, and how to actually run a fundraising process from start to close.

OpenVC: How to design a winning strategy

How to design a winning fundraising strategy

• Discusses building a fundraising strategy before outreach: choosing the right investors, defining the narrative, sequencing meetings, batching outreach, creating urgency, tracking the funnel, and managing timelines.

b2venture: Fundraising Strategy

Fundraising Strategy

• Covers investor-founder fit, long-term relationship building, preparation before the raise, communication with investors, milestone planning, and choosing investors beyond just valuation.