Quick answer
Start with a dated investment that names the fund, check its current vehicle and mandate, then ask whether it is making new investments at your stage. Our catalog records investment-related evidence within 180 days for 43–58 funds. Use that evidence to prioritize conversations and the three-line message below to confirm the current process.
See which investors fit your startup
Add your website. We pick three investors who back companies at your stage, sector and market, with the evidence for each.
What recent investment evidence tells you
The useful question is specific: is this firm considering a new company like yours now? A dated investment announcement gives you a reason to investigate. A reply about the current vehicle, initial allocation and decision process tells you what to do next.
The 14 October catalog contains 235 dated investment-related records across 105 ready funds. These include initial investments and follow-ons. Here is how many of the 655 ready funds have at least one qualifying record in each window.
| Lookback window | Funds with a definite event in the window | Funds including possible matches from partial dates |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 17 | 33 |
| 90 days | 29 | 45 |
| 180 days | 43 | 58 |
| 365 days | 74 | 78 |
The second column is your more precise starting list. The last column adds records with month-only or year-only dates that could fall inside the window. Open the underlying event before using it in an approach. A dated follow-on is a useful conversation starter; ask separately about first checks into new companies.
Copy this three-line activity check
Use this message once you have established basic stage and sector fit. Replace the brackets with facts from your company and one relevant source. Send it through the fund's stated submission route or an existing conversation.
> We build [product] for [buyer] and are raising [amount] at [stage]; your investment in [company] caught my attention because [specific connection]. > Are you currently making first investments in companies at our stage, and what initial allocation would you consider? > If there is a fit, what would you need from us to decide on a first conversation?
Keep the connection short: a shared customer problem, business model or technical field is more useful than praise. If you found no relevant deal, replace the first line's investment reference with the exact mandate that fits. Do not manufacture a recent event to make the message sound timely.
Save the answer with the date and a next action. “New seed investments; send a short deck” means prepare the requested material. “Follow-ons only” means move the firm out of the new-company queue. “Revisit after the next close” calls for a dated follow-up tied to that milestone.
Six signals to inspect before approaching a fund
1. A dated investment with named participation
Look for a fund or company announcement that identifies the investor and its role. Save the event date and the sentence supporting participation. A portfolio logo is a starting point for research; an investment announcement gives you a specific event to discuss.
Check whether the transaction concerns a first investment or an existing portfolio company. Then compare the company's stage and business with yours. Use how to read an investor match to connect activity evidence with the rest of the fit assessment.
2. The vehicle behind the investment
Find the fund or strategy responsible for the deal. A firm can run several vehicles with different stages, geographies and allocation sizes. Put the relevant vehicle in your tracker so a growth-fund announcement does not steer a pre-seed conversation.
Use read the fund cycle to prepare the vehicle question. Ask which fund would consider your company and whether it is making first investments. You need that answer before spending time estimating an allocation from the firm's overall size.
3. A clear fundraising milestone
Read the announcement for the actual milestone: a planned raise, a first close or a final close. Save the wording and date. If the investment process depends on a forthcoming close, ask when the team expects to evaluate new opportunities and what you can usefully send before then.
Keep that follow-up in your calendar alongside your own fundraising deadline. A potentially good investor whose process begins after your cash deadline needs a different priority from one reviewing proposals now.
4. A current route through the team
Check the firm's current team and submission pages. Establish where a company at your stage should go and what material the team requests. An old profile or an outdated introduction can otherwise send a good approach to the wrong place.
If you have an introduction, ask the connector whether the recipient still covers the relevant strategy. Prepare a forwardable description of the company, allocation and reason for fit so the connector can make a specific request.
5. A mandate that still matches the company
Read the strategy language alongside the recent deal. Your buyer, product, stage and investment geography should fit the fund's stated remit. A recent investment in an adjacent industry can suggest useful experience, but the mandate should support the approach you plan to make.
Use current investment-thesis checks to write one concrete connection. For example, connect your factory-maintenance product to a stated industrial-software focus and a relevant portfolio company. That gives the investor something to assess immediately.
6. A direct answer about new investments
Use the three-line message to close the remaining gap. Ask about first investments, allocation and process together. If the answer is broad, follow up on the unresolved point: “Would a first investment at our stage come from that vehicle?”
Record a decision date when one is offered. Follow up against the agreed next step, rather than sending generic reminders. This keeps your research connected to an actual fundraising process.
Three records, three next actions
These saved source records show how to turn different kinds of portfolio information into useful work.
| Fund and source | Recorded event | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Fin Capital | AlgoX2 investment announcement, 30 September 2026 | Check stage and product fit, then ask about first investments |
| Vireo Ventures | Homenergy exit, 1 October 2026 | Find an investment event or ask about the current vehicle |
| Seedcamp | Revolut and Pleo portfolio entries without event dates | Use the current mandate and ask about its new-company process |
Fin Capital's record provides the dated investment opening for the message. Vireo's exit gives you a different event, so keep your question about the investment process explicit. Seedcamp's entries establish portfolio relationships; use a dated deal source if recency matters to your approach.
Turn the research into a short queue
Give each candidate one next action: approach with the relevant evidence, clarify activity, or revisit after a stated milestone. Keep the reason and source beside it. A quiet website can stay in the clarification queue when the mandate fit is strong.
Combine this with portfolio-conflict research and signals to verify before outreach. Then Find investors for your startup with a brief that states your stage, target allocation and timing. Review the strongest candidates first and use their replies to decide where to spend the next hour.
Once you have a conversation, use questions about the current vehicle and investment process to establish an actionable next step.
FAQ
How do I know if a VC is actively investing?
Find a dated investment naming the firm, identify the relevant vehicle and ask whether it is considering new companies at your stage. Record the answer and its date.
How recent should the last investment be?
Choose a window that suits your fundraising timeline. Start with the recent events, then widen the search when the mandate fit is strong and the process remains unclear.
Does a portfolio company's financing mean every investor joined?
Check the participant list or the fund's own announcement. A company can raise a new round with a different group of investors.
What should I ask after a new fund announcement?
Ask which stages and initial allocations the vehicle is considering, when it reviews opportunities and what material starts the process.
Should I drop a fund with no dated public deal?
Keep it for a focused clarification when the other fit evidence is strong. Prioritize explicit replies and relevant deal evidence when deciding which conversations to pursue.
Method and limits
Calculated as of 14 October 2026 from ready wave-2 fund IDs. Investment-related event kinds include follow-ons; generic news, exits and listings are excluded. Inclusive windows preserve month/year uncertainty and cap dates at saved source checks. Counts measure recorded evidence, not available capital; missing evidence is unknown. Sources were not re-fetched. Investor research methodology.
Prepared with AI assistance from linked primary sources. Workflows are editorial guidance; examples are fictional. Not financial or legal advice.
From shortlist to first meeting
Everything in Launch, plus help with the first email and the first call.
- Deck review
- First emails built on each investor's recent deals
- Meeting prep, phone numbers and CSV export