Yuliya Bel here. Fundraising is not easy. It takes an incredible amount of time (at least 2-4 months), energy (this will be your full time job) and nuance to do it well. To increase your chances of getting to term sheet - you have to 1) build a network of founders, angels, investors and operators and 2) run a really good process.
In the spirit of founders helping founders, particularly those who are underrepresented and under-networked, I've put together a guide and list of investors who are open to strategic cold outreach from founders who are in the process of raising.
How to be thoroughly strategic in your outreach:
Hustle Fund's Elizabeth Yin wrote an amazing post on how to cold-email investors.
Please note: This list is meant to bolster, not completely replace, a strategic and well-run fundraising process.
Although many investors here have invested in start-ups without a former introduction, the fundraising process tends to be quicker and smoother if you do an initial search and see if you have any mutual connections to make the intro or create some buzz around you first.
Not everyone comes with a network — this is one of the reasons that underrepresented factors continue to not have access to capital. These steps will help you mitigate challenges.
How to increase odds of getting a meeting? Run through this checklist: