Cold Email for VC Introductions
Warm introductions dramatically increase your chances of getting VC meetings. Cold email can help you build relationships with people who can make those introductions - portfolio founders, mutual connections, and investor networks.
Why Cold Email Works for This
- Warm intros are 10x more effective than cold emails to VCs
- Portfolio founders have direct access to their investors
- Advisors and angels often have VC relationships
- Strategic networking creates multiple introduction paths
- Building relationships early pays off at fundraising time
Key Challenges
- -Identifying who can make introductions to target investors
- -Providing value before asking for introductions
- -Standing out to portfolio founders who get many requests
- -Building genuine relationships vs transactional asks
- -Timing requests appropriately
Best Practices
Map the introduction path
For each target investor, identify 2-3 people who could make introductions: portfolio founders, other investors, or mutual connections.
Lead with value or connection
Before asking for intros, offer something valuable: customer referrals, product feedback, or relevant industry insights.
Target portfolio company founders
Founders the VC has backed carry significant weight. Research their portfolio and reach out to relevant founders.
Be specific about the ask
Dont ask for intros to the firm - ask for intros to a specific partner who invests in your space.
Make it easy to forward
Provide a forwardable blurb the connector can use: 2-3 sentences with your traction and ask.
Recommended Tools
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- -Asking for intros without providing any value first
- -Requesting introductions to investors who dont fit
- -Putting burden on the connector to craft the intro
- -Not researching the relationship between connector and investor
- -Being transactional instead of building genuine relationships
Success Metrics to Track
- -Introduction request acceptance rate
- -Meeting rate from warm introductions
- -Quality of intro (partner meeting vs associate screen)
- -Conversion from intro meetings to next steps
Getting Started
Ready to use cold email for vc introductions? Start by verifying your email lists and testing deliverability to ensure your messages reach the inbox.