How can founders best prepare for investment?
2:51 mins
Key Insights
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We asked five of the top investors in Victoria, Betty Zhang (Boson Ventures), Hugh Stephens (Galileo Ventures), Samantha Ng (Pacific Channel), Brett Ogilvie (Pacific Channel), and Nicholas Ooi (Investible), how founders should prepare before raising. Their advice is clear: preparation is less about adding slides and more about sharpening your story, your plan, and your investor fit.
- Prepare for two horizons, your next 6 to 18 months, and your 10-year vision.
- Be ruthless about clarity in your pitch, every slide should communicate one clear message.
- Treat your raise like a marketing campaign, research investor fit early and sequence your outreach.
- Do practice rounds before approaching top-choice investors.
- Be clear on why you are raising, how much you need, and who you should raise from.
- Look beyond local capital, sector-specialist global investors can add strategic value as well as funding.
Video Transcript
How can founders best prepare for investment?
Hugh Stephens, General Partner, Galileo Ventures
I think the thing that we want to really see is where you see yourself going in the next six to 18 months, and then what your 10-year vision looks like if everything works. Those are very distinct horizons. The really important part is being succinct in what you are trying to say. Even when helping founders with Series A decks, we ask: what is the one message you want this slide to get across, and is that obvious? Founders often keep adding more information, but that can dilute the message.
Brett Ogilvie, Pacific Channel
Key for us is a genuine customer problem, not just a flick of dust in the eye, but an urgent problem that needs to be solved. We want founders to understand that problem and explain how they will serve it, then show they can scale a business from Australia.
Betty Zhang, Investment Manager, Boson Ventures
Think about an investment campaign much like a marketing campaign. Do your research and understand your audience. Start mapping the investor landscape early and identify your highest-likelihood investors. Do practice runs before approaching dream investors. Also look globally, not just locally, because specialist investors can bring deep expertise as well as capital.
Nicholas Ooi, Investor, Investible
Think introspectively about why you want to raise, how much you want to raise, and who you want to raise from. Who you raise from matters, because venture firms and high-net-worth investors bring different expectations and profiles.
