Guide · Seed fundraising

How to Raise a Seed Round — The Complete Guide for Founders

Everything you need to know about raising your seed round: when you're ready, how to find investors, what they want to see, and how to close. Written for founders, by people who've watched thousands of raises.

$1–3M
Typical seed range
50–100
Target investors
3–6 mo
Average raise time
40%+
PMF threshold

How it works

1

Know when you're seed-ready

Early traction, a clear hypothesis, a credible team, and a specific use of funds narrative. Get a deal readiness check.

2

Build your target investor list

50–100 right-fit investors filtered by your stage, sector, and check size. Quality of fit beats quantity.

3

Run a tight process

Create urgency with a structured timeline. Investors move when they see other investors moving.

What you get

When Are You Seed Ready?

Most seed rounds close with: evidence of problem existence, early user validation, credible team for the market, and a specific use-of-funds plan for the next 18 months.

How Much to Raise?

Raise 18–24 months of runway. Calculate your monthly burn rate times 20, add a 20% buffer, and round to the nearest $500K. Over-raising dilutes you; under-raising creates bridge risk.

Finding the Right Investors

Stage fit matters most — a $100M fund won't lead your $1.5M seed. Find investors whose previous checks match your raise size. Use HeyMojo's database to filter.

The Pitch Structure That Works

Problem → Solution → Market → Business Model → Traction → Team → Ask. Each section should answer the investor's next question before they ask it.

Managing the Process

Run your raise like a sales pipeline: target, contacted, meeting booked, meeting done, follow-up, term sheet. HeyMojo's fundraising CRM does this automatically.

Closing the Round

Get a lead investor first — everyone else follows. A verbal yes is not a yes. Keep moving until paperwork is signed.

Pro Feature

Included with a free HeyMojo account

Start free. Upgrade when you need more.

Frequently asked questions

How long does a seed round typically take?
Most seed rounds take 3–6 months from first pitch to close. The fastest rounds (6–8 weeks) happen when a founder has strong FOMO dynamics — multiple term sheets in play simultaneously. Structuring your process to create urgency is the single biggest lever.
How many investors should I pitch?
Target 50–100 investors for a typical seed raise. Expect 10–20% to take a first meeting; 2–5% to progress to serious diligence; 1–3 term sheets. HeyMojo's investor database helps you identify the right 50–100 for your specific situation.
What do seed investors want to see for a B2B startup?
Early customer conversations (3–10 design partners or paying customers), evidence of the problem (quant and qual), a founder with relevant domain expertise, a realistic path to $5–10M ARR in 3 years, and a specific 18-month use of funds.
Should I raise a pre-seed before seed?
A pre-seed round ($200K–750K) makes sense if you need capital to get to seed milestones. Many founders skip pre-seed if they can self-fund to those milestones or if their network can provide seed capital directly.
What's the difference between a seed round and a pre-seed round?
Pre-seed is typically $100K–750K from angels and small funds. It's used to validate early hypotheses. Seed is $1–4M from dedicated seed funds. It's used to prove product-market fit and build the team for Series A.
How do I create urgency to close faster?
Run parallel processes (pitch multiple investors simultaneously), create a close date and stick to it, and be transparent about other term sheets in progress. Investors are more decisive when they believe a window is closing.

Ready to start your seed raise?

Check your deal readiness first — then approach investors with confidence.