SENNA

Founders Struggle to Grab Investor Attention on LinkedIn

In the competitive world of startup fundraising, the opening message to a prospective investor can make or break a founder's chances. According to Arnas Bräutigam, co-founder of business angel platform AddedVal.io, most founders fail at this critical first step.

"The classic pitch goes like this: 'Dear Mr. XY, I hope you're doing well. We're building the most revolutionary health app that will change the lives of millions.' By that point, the angel investor has usually stopped reading," Bräutigam said. The message is often too long, formal and impersonal - a clear copy-paste job.

To truly connect with business angels on LinkedIn, founders need to shift their approach, Bräutigam advised. "You have to stop hard-selling and start a conversation instead." The problem, he explained, is that founders try to cram in too much - market, product, team, traction, vision - resulting in a wall of text that no one wants to read.

Furthermore, the tone is often too stuffy, as if applying for a bank loan, rather than the more casual, direct language common in the startup ecosystem. "People in this space speak plainly, they don't use corporate jargon," Bräutigam noted.

Perhaps most crucially, the message lacks relevance. "Many emails could be sent to any investor in the world - there's no personalization," Bräutigam said. Founders need to do their homework and tailor their outreach to each angel's specific interests and experience.

According to industry sources, getting a response from a high-profile business angel can be an elusive goal for many founders. With inboxes flooded by generic pitches, the challenge is cutting through the noise. Bräutigam's advice? "Stop trying to sell. Start a conversation."