How to Raise Millions for Your Startup (Without Selling Your Soul)

What I’ve learned raising $40M+ across multiple businesses

When I raised my first round of funding, I thought it would be about the product.

The idea. The market size. The big vision.

What I learned—after pitching to dozens of investors and hearing far more no’s than yeses was this:

Fundraising is not about perfection.

It’s about clarity, conviction, and process.

I’ve raised more than $40 million across multiple businesses, across every stage, from pre-seed to growth rounds. And I’ve invested more than $1m myself into startup and scaleup companies.

Some rounds came together fast. Others felt like trench warfare.

But every single time, it came down to the same principles.

This is everything I wish someone had told me before I raised a penny.

1. Fundraising is an Ongoing Process, Not a Moment.

One of the biggest mistakes I made early was treating fundraising like a single event.

Like there would be a magical pitch where someone would just say “yes.”

The reality?

Fundraising is a structured, staged campaign, like B2B enterprise sales. It requires a pipeline, rhythm, follow-up, momentum, and a closing strategy.

If you drip outreach over 3 months and hope someone bites, you’ll lose steam and confidence.

Instead, think of it like this:

• Warm up your network

• Stack meetings over 2–4 weeks

• Get feedback

• Iterate

• Build heat and interest

• Close while the energy is there

Time kills deals. Momentum closes them.