Bootspring
HomeGet Started

Investor Targeting

Research and identify the right investors for your startup with systematic outreach and tracking

The Investor Targeting workflow helps you identify, research, and prioritize investors who are the best fit for your startup. A systematic approach to targeting dramatically improves your success rate.

Overview#

PropertyValue
Phases4 (Research, Prioritization, Outreach, Tracking)
TierFree
Typical Duration2-4 weeks for initial list
Best ForSeed and Series A founders

Outcomes#

A successful targeting workflow delivers:

  • Prioritized list of 50-100 target investors
  • Research dossiers on top prospects
  • Warm intro pathways identified
  • Outreach templates ready to deploy
  • CRM system to track conversations

Phase 1: Research#

Investor Criteria Matrix#

Define your ideal investor profile:

CriterionYour Requirements
StagePre-seed / Seed / Series A
Check size$[X] - $[Y]
Sector focus[Your industry/vertical]
Geographic focus[Where you're based]
Portfolio fit[Complementary, not competitive]
Value-add[What help you need]

Research Sources#

Primary Sources:

  • Crunchbase / PitchBook
  • LinkedIn (investor profiles)
  • AngelList
  • Fund websites and portfolios
  • Twitter / X (investor activity)

Signal Sources:

  • Recent investments in your space
  • Portfolio company announcements
  • Blog posts about your market
  • Podcast appearances
  • Conference speaking

Investor Research Template#

Loading code block...

Building Your Target List#

Tier 1 (30-40 investors): Perfect Fit

  • Active in your stage and sector
  • Recent investments prove thesis alignment
  • Warm intro path available

Tier 2 (30-40 investors): Good Fit

  • Right stage and sector
  • Some relevant portfolio
  • May need cold outreach

Tier 3 (20-30 investors): Opportunistic

  • Stage-appropriate but less sector focus
  • Worth including but lower priority

Phase 2: Prioritization#

Scoring Framework#

Rate each investor on these dimensions:

FactorWeightScore (1-5)
Thesis alignment30%
Recent activity20%
Portfolio synergy20%
Warm intro available20%
Reputation/value-add10%
Total100%

Prioritization Matrix#

HIGH THESIS FIT │ Tier 1 │ Tier 1 (First call) │ (First call) │ ─────────────────┼───────────────── NO WARM INTRO │ WARM INTRO ─────────────────┼───────────────── │ Tier 3 │ Tier 2 (If needed) │ (Second wave) │ LOW THESIS FIT

Red Flags to Avoid#

  • Competitive portfolio companies
  • Known difficult reputation
  • Not actively investing
  • Mismatched stage expectations
  • Geographic restrictions that exclude you

Phase 3: Outreach Strategy#

The Warm Intro Hierarchy#

Best to worst intro sources:

  1. Portfolio founders - Highest conversion rate
  2. Other founders they've met - Strong signal
  3. LPs or advisors - Good credibility
  4. Mutual friends - Depends on relationship
  5. Cold outreach - Lowest conversion but still works

Warm Intro Request Template#

Loading code block...

Forwardable Blurb Template#

Loading code block...

Cold Outreach Template#

Loading code block...

Outreach Timing#

Best times to send:

  • Tuesday-Thursday
  • 8-10 AM in investor's timezone
  • Avoid Mondays and Fridays

Follow-up cadence:

  • Wait 1 week after initial email
  • Send brief follow-up (2-3 sentences)
  • One more follow-up after another week
  • Move on if no response after 3 attempts

Phase 4: Tracking System#

CRM Setup#

Track these fields for each investor:

Loading code block...

Pipeline Dashboard#

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ FUNDRAISING PIPELINE │ ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Researching │ Intro Req │ Meeting │ Follow-up │ Closing │ │ (25) │ (15) │ (8) │ (5) │ (2) │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ████████████ │ ███████ │ ████ │ ██ │ █ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ Recent Activity: • [Investor A] - Meeting scheduled for Tuesday • [Investor B] - Intro requested from [Connector] • [Investor C] - Passed (timing)

Weekly Metrics#

Track these weekly:

MetricTarget
New investors researched10-15
Intros requested8-10
Intros received5-8
First meetings3-5
Follow-up meetings2-3

Recommended Agents#

PhaseAgentPurpose
Researchresearch-expertInvestor background research
Outreachcopywriting-expertEmail templates and personalization
Trackinganalytics-expertPipeline reporting
Strategystrategy-expertTargeting optimization

Tools Recommended#

ToolPurposeCost
CrunchbaseInvestor research$29/mo
LinkedIn Sales NavigatorConnection research$99/mo
Streak / PipedriveCRM trackingFree-$49/mo
DocSendDeck tracking$10/mo
CalendlyMeeting schedulingFree

Deliverables#

DeliverableDescription
Target list50-100 prioritized investors
Research dossiersDetailed profiles for Tier 1
Warm intro mapPathways to each investor
Email templatesPersonalized outreach ready
Tracking systemCRM configured and populated

Best Practices#

  1. Quality over quantity - 50 perfect-fit investors beat 500 spray-and-pray
  2. Do your homework - Personalization dramatically improves response rates
  3. Leverage your network - Warm intros convert 5-10x better than cold
  4. Track everything - You'll forget conversations without a system
  5. Follow up persistently - Many deals close after multiple touchpoints
  6. Keep networking - Build relationships even when not raising

Common Pitfalls#

  • Spray and pray - Mass generic emails don't work
  • Wrong stage/sector - Wasting time on poor fits
  • Bad intro source - Weak connections don't convert
  • No follow-up - Leaving money on the table
  • Disorganized tracking - Losing track of conversations
  • Ignoring signals - Not adapting based on feedback

Outreach Cadence#

Week 1: ├── Day 1-2: Research Tier 1 investors ├── Day 3-4: Map warm intro paths └── Day 5: Request first batch of intros Week 2: ├── Day 1-3: Continue intros + first meetings ├── Day 4-5: Research Tier 2 if needed Ongoing: ├── 3-5 new conversations started per week ├── Daily CRM updates └── Weekly pipeline review

Related Workflows#