Meet Venture Capitalists

Venture Capitalist have a job to make investments in companies that provide a return on their (or their LPs) capital. Since this is their job, they are usually quite amenable to meeting with an entrepreneur to hear a pitch. At least one pitch.

When I started raising venture capital for HubPages I had few contacts. Here is how I developed a set of contacts with some of the world's best venture funds.

1. Get a well connected and respected Silicon Valley attorney. Find a partner on their website and call them up and tell them you are looking for an attorney for your startup. We used Orrick.
2. Ask your new attorney for introductions to venture funds. The attorneys have a vested interest in helping you raise money since they often do early work like setting up your corporation, but defer their fees until you are funded.
3. Read blogs of Venture Capitalist. VCs love to tout the IRR of their blogs. Most of them have an email address on their blog. Send an email "I've been reading your blog and thought you might be interested in.....". This is how I met Hummer Winblad who funded us.
4. Get a bank. Silicon Valley Bank also helps connect entreprenuers with VCs. Go to them and ask about their programs. They are free and provide good contacts. I met KP and others through them.
5. Send cold emails. Make a list of the top funds and send an email to them. Just one with a bit about your background and your business. Keep it short. Very short. I had great responses to this.