How to cold email investors

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Four tips to nail your outreach
Read time 2.0 minutes.

I receive lots of cold emails. Many of them are from decent companies, but most are completely unengaging and unreadable. I’d say 90%+ don’t get serious consideration because of basic mistakes. Here are four tips that you should keep in mind when sending cold emails:

1. Stop spraying, start aiming.
Don’t pitch your AI-powered B2B workflow tool to someone who publicly hates B2B workflow tools. Do five minutes of research. Read their portfolio, their posts, their thesis. You’ll get a higher hit rate, and you won’t look lazy.

2. Don’t ask for permission.
“Can I get your advice?” is a guaranteed skip. You’re the expert in your problem space, act like it. Lead with something strong and specific: “We’re building X to solve Y, here’s what’s working, here’s what’s not.” Investors engage when there’s substance, not small talk.

3. Lead with your team.
At pre-seed, the who matters more than the what. Everyone’s solving similar problems; the winners are the ones who move fast and know the space cold. Open your message with why you are the team to win. The idea will follow.

4. Keep it tight.
Your first message isn’t the memo. It’s the hook. 4–5 sentences max, enough to intrigue, not exhaust. Please give them a reason to reply, not a reason to scroll.

Cold emails can work; if they’re thoughtful, confident, and concise.

The secret? Write your message the way you’d pitch in person, clear, relevant, and impossible to ignore.

Onwards and Upwards,

Liam Gill