DocSend Newsletter - The Startup Index: July 7, 2023

Welcome back to The Startup Index.

In this installment, we’ll share tips for founders from the pitching stage to due diligence, including an inside look into what VCs really care about seeing in your deck.

Plus, a snapshot of what the most recent data says about investor pitch deck interest (and what that could mean for the rest of Q3) and some of our top reads of the week.

What VCs really want to see inside your seed deck

19-20 pages? Perfect. Leading with your company’s purpose? Absolutely. Giving investors an arbitrary ask number without a clear explanation of how you’ll actually spend it? Definitely not.

Learn the science behind creating a seed deck that’s engineered for success.

Weekly Update: Pitch Deck Metrics

The last week of Q2 perfectly illustrates the current market tilt toward investors in the startup fundraising ecosystem. Investor activity dropped by 0.46% as VCs reminded us that the summer fundraising season is already upon us. For their part, founders surprised us with another end-of-quarter rush, increasing their rate of pitch decks sent out by 27.8%.

This divergence is telling: it shows that VCs aren't likely to pick up the pace much before October, whereas many founders are still scrambling for investor engagement. Although this may be a time for certain VCs to take their pick of high-quality deals, the volume of pitch decks in the marketplace suggests founders will face tough going through Q3.

Due diligence made easier

Whether or not you’re actively fundraising, being on top of the due diligence process is crucial. If you’re trying to secure investors, they’ll need solid, documented proof to feel confident about your company. Even if you’re not in a fundraising cycle, you could get hit with a surprise audit.

Here’s what you need to know about creating, storing, and tracking the right kinds of due diligence documents for your business.

Recommended reads

$19B in funding - that’s how much founders have raised with Dropbox. With 13 new languages available, we’re excited to help startups around the world unlock even more.
“Business as cake, product as frosting.” Andrea Sommers of Hive Founders shares her POV on what we can all learn from women-led startups in the current fundraising climate.
Can AI really help us do our best work? Exploring how companies are using AI tools to make more time for human interaction, make data more accessible, and solve modern challenges.

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