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Most founder outreach emails die in the inbox. Not because investors are too busy (though they are), but because founders lead with what they want instead of why the investor should care.
Here's the template that consistently gets 50-60% response rates for warm introductions:
The 5-Line Formula
Line 1 - The Connection: "[Mutual contact] suggested I reach out after I mentioned we're building in [space]."
Line 2 - The Hook: "We're [company], helping [specific customer] solve [specific problem]."
Line 3 - The Proof: "In [timeframe], we've reached [$X revenue / X customers / X% growth rate]."
Line 4 - The Relevance: "Given your investment in [portfolio company], thought you'd be interested in how we're approaching [similar space / adjacent problem]."
Line 5 - The Ask: "Would you be open to a 15-minute call next week?"
Real Example:
"Sarah Chen suggested I reach out after I mentioned we're building in vertical SaaS for dentists.
We're Toothmetrics, helping dental practices reduce no-shows by 40% through automated patient engagement.
In 8 months, we've reached $240K ARR with 47 practices and 15% month-over-month growth.
Given your investment in Carestack, thought you'd be interested in how we're solving the patient retention side of practice management.
Would you be open to a 15-minute call next week?"
Why This Works:
Opens with credibility (mutual connection)
One sentence to explain what you do (not a paragraph)
Concrete traction (numbers, not adjectives)
Shows you've done research (specific portfolio company)
Low-commitment ask (15 minutes, not "let me pitch you")
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What NOT to Do:
❌ Don't attach your deck (they won't open it)
❌ Don't explai
n your entire business model (save it for the call)
❌ Don't use buzzwords ("disruptive," "revolutionary," "AI-powered")
❌ Don't ask "can I send you more information?" (too passive)
Your Action This Week
Take your last investor outreach email. Rewrite it using this 5-line formula. Send it to 5 investors. Track your response rate.
If you need help crafting your specific version, reply to this email and I'll help you workshop it.
P.S. Need investors to reach out to? Next Round connects pre-seed and seed founders with 100+ active investors looking to write checks. Submit your company here to get in front of them.