Lessons From 100 Capital Raisers Who Raised $100M+
Insights from 100 Capital Raisers who Raised $100M+ | BONUS Episode
Capital raisers and fund managers who want to know what experienced raisers do and how many investor conversations a deal can take.
Worth quoting
"They still usually go after 180 to 250 investor leads to find the 12 to 15 checks that are going to come into that deal."
"People do business with other people they trust and like, not with people who claim the highest IRR or the highest returns for their investors."
"It doesn't matter if you send a printed one-page value-add newsletter to your top 300 investors a month if you don't have a professional email address."
The short version
Even capital raisers with full-time teams, strong CRMs and 20 years of experience usually contact 180 to 250 investor leads to land 12 to 15 checks. Richard C. Wilson shares this pattern in a recap of more than 100 talks from his event series. Each speaker had 10 minutes to share one top strategy, and the talks were not scripted.
Richard also describes his own habit of polite persistence, including 12 years of follow-up on billionaires.com and 14 emails before one reply. He notes that some speakers email once and move on. Other repeated themes include flexible deal structures, several ways to protect the downside, fast and clear replies, and getting the basics right before trying fancy tactics.
From the source
- The event series features about 25 speakers, each limited to a 10 minute talk.
- Richard C. Wilson has run his investor club for 16 years, hosted 190 live events and met 3000 plus investors face to face.
- Richard sent 14 emails before getting a reply for billionaires.com and chased one dental industry deal for 18 months with 150 emails.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: Insights from 100 Capital Raisers who Raised $100M+ | BONUS Episode. Quotes come from the video captions, lightly edited for readability. Figures are the speakers' own estimates and experience.
General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
Talk to a securities attorney to explore options around placement agent compensation, deal structure options and downside protection terms. Do not use AI to write your own legal agreements.
5 key takeaways
- Expect a large number of leads. Speakers with every advantage still usually go after 180 to 250 investor leads to find 12 to 15 checks. Richard says this is a reason not to be too hard on yourself if raising is slow.
- Stay politely persistent. Richard credits follow-up for several deals, including 12 years on billionaires.com. Some speakers disagree and email once, so persistence is a style choice, not a rule all of them share.
- Keep a narrow focus. The speakers typically raise for one to three areas, not fifteen. Richard lists this alongside responding quickly and making the process and value adds simple to understand.
- Offer flexible structures and downside ideas. Speakers suggest staying open to adjusting the deal to fit each investor and avoiding rigidity. They also mention bringing a few ideas for protecting the downside. Many sponsors talk to a securities attorney about how to structure these features.
- Get the fundamentals in place first. A professional email address, visuals of the value add process and readiness for due diligence matter more than fancy outreach. Richard says unique ideas plus solid fundamentals make the difference.
Related questions
- How do I negotiate valuation with an early investor?Start with a valuation you can defend with traction and numbers, then expect the investor to push back.
- How do I raise capital from Middle East investors?Start with a warm introduction from someone the investor already trusts.
- What is a pre-seed round and who invests in it?A pre-seed round is the earliest outside money a startup raises, often before it has real revenue.
Questions about this video
How many investors do experienced raisers contact to close a deal?
According to the talk, they usually go after 180 to 250 investor leads to find the 12 to 15 checks that come into a deal.
Who spoke at the event series?
About 25 speakers give 10 minute talks, and each has raised or done $100 million or more in deals. Each shares one top strategy or idea.
Why do placement agents sometimes ignore smaller deals?
Richard says placement agents tend to prefer bigger projects because they are easier to raise for and more credible. How placement agents are compensated on smaller deals varies, and many sponsors talk to a securities attorney about those arrangements.
Put this into practice with the ready to raise checklist. See all capital raising mindset resources.
