TL;DR: How to Make Your Startup "The One to Watch" Before Fundraising
To position your startup as "the one to watch" and attract investors before fundraising, focus on building a compelling narrative, showcasing visible traction, and generating credibility through thought leadership and visibility.
• Craft your story: Highlight your mission and founding vision to connect with investors on a human level.
• Demonstrate early wins: Use measurable proof like customer growth, pilot results, or testimonials to build trust.
• Show up consistently: Attend events, leverage PR, share progress on LinkedIn or Twitter, and publish expert insights.
• Be strategic but authentic: Avoid hype, align your messaging across platforms, and focus on visibility within your niche.
Momentum and trust are key. Start creating buzz early, before you need funding, to make your startup irresistible. Ready to share your story and stand out? Now’s the time!
How to Position Your Startup as “The One to Watch” Before Fundraising
Fundraising is tough, but the market isn’t just looking for promising ideas anymore, it’s looking for standout companies that already radiate momentum. As someone who’s scaled startups across Europe and navigated the trenches of venture capital, I’ve learned this firsthand. Positioning your startup early as “the one to watch” can make all the difference when meeting investors. Let’s unpack how you, as a founder, can get ahead of the fundraising curve and make your venture irresistible to investors.
What Makes a Startup “The One to Watch”?
Startups don’t get crowned as the “one to watch” by accident. It’s a mix of deliberately crafting your narrative, showing measurable wins, and staying relentlessly visible in your niche. Investors want to see signals of strong leadership, early traction, and a vision that resonates with their values.
- Compelling Narrative: Your story is your brand.
- Visible Traction: Numbers breed trust, show your customers’ growth.
- Credibility Through Presence: Thought leadership earns respect.
If these three pillars are solid, investors will find it hard to resist what you’re building. But these elements must come together cohesively across your pitch deck, social media presence, and PR strategy.
How Do You Build a Reputation Before You Need Money?
The most common misconception among founders lies in timing. Fundraising doesn’t begin when you hit send on your pitch deck, it starts long before that, with how well you’ve laid the groundwork. Here’s a strategic approach to position yourself early:
- Start showing up: Attend startup events like EU-Startups Events, pitch competitions, and network opportunities.
- Leverage PR: Make your name visible through platforms investors engage with, like TechCrunch and Sifted.
- Build social proof: Share the evolution of your startup consistently on LinkedIn or Twitter.
- Establish thought leadership: Publish niche articles or stories in well-read outlets that spotlight your expertise.
- Create FOMO: Build exclusivity within your offerings by launching beta programs or invite-only demos.
Visibility and credibility go hand-in-hand. If you’re in deeptech or emerging tech spaces, credibility could even outweigh early traction. Be strategic about where to show up and how often.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
I’ve observed startups undermine their positioning before conversations even begin. Some mistakes are easy to correct, others aren’t:
- Silent syndrome: Founders stay too focused on their product development, forgetting that no visibility means no opportunity.
- Overhyping prematurely: Announcing big moves before they’re backed by achievements puts your credibility at risk.
- Ignoring storytelling: Investors love narratives, they connect more with your why than your what.
- Misaligned messaging: Your pitch deck messaging doesn’t align with your digital presence or PR narratives, this raises red flags.
- Desperation-induced networking: Showing urgency rather than confidence weakens your perceived value.
Think of pre-fundraising as crafting a reputation campaign. Consistency and authenticity matter far more than acting flashy.
How to Craft Your “One to Watch” Strategy
Let’s get practical. Here’s a step-by-step strategy for startup founders entering pre-fundraising mode:
- Define your narrative: What’s your founding story? Why does your product matter? Highlight key human elements.
- Measure small wins: Investors aren’t looking for perfection, they’re looking for signals that you can execute. Share early proof of concept data or testimonials from pilot tests.
- Control visibility: Position your startup where your target audience (and investors) frequent. This could be through blogs, partnerships, or speaking engagements.
- Curate your online footprint: Audit your LinkedIn, website, and social content. Does it reflect where your company currently stands and what its vision is?
- Connect with investors early: Establish informal relationships before pitching. This could mean attending networking dinners, accelerator programs, or virtual meetups.
Remember, it’s not just about showing that you’re succeeding, it’s about showing you’re on track to redefine an industry, no matter how niche.
Key Takeaways and Final Advice
Positioning your startup as “the one to watch” isn’t about gaining instant fame, it’s about building trust, leading conversations, and demonstrating traction over time. Treat fundraising as an extension of a well-executed reputation strategy, not as the launchpad itself.
- Consistency beats hype: Investors care more about execution signals than showmanship.
- Relatable stories matter: Make your story stand out by being true to your why.
- Don’t neglect the network: Building relationships early is as important as crafting a perfect pitch deck.
- Iterate on visibility: Experiment with ways to stand out in your industry without over-promising.
Now’s the time to unfold your story, secure early credibility, and make your startup the one everyone’s watching.
FAQ: How to Position Your Startup as "The One to Watch" Before Fundraising
What does it mean to be "The One to Watch" as a startup?
Being “The one to watch” refers to positioning your startup as a company generating significant momentum, showing promise, and attracting attention from both investors and industry peers. This often involves building visibility through PR campaigns, showcasing early traction through customer engagement and measurable metrics, and demonstrating thought leadership within your niche. Investors want to see clear signals that the startup has strong leadership, a compelling narrative, and a vision that aligns with market trends. This reputation isn’t instant and requires months of strategic groundwork before pitching ideas to investors.
How can storytelling elevate a startup's profile before fundraising?
Effective storytelling connects the company’s mission with real-world impact, humanizing the brand and helping potential investors align emotionally with the vision. A well-crafted founding story can highlight the problem you aim to solve, the unique approach your business takes, and the reason why your startup is essential in your industry. This narrative should be consistent across all fronts, pitch decks, social media, website content, and PR campaigns. Strong storytelling isn’t about hype; it’s about authenticity and providing a clear, relatable "why." Learn more about startup storytelling
Why does early traction matter in positioning a startup?
Early traction showcases proof of concept and validates interest or demand for your product or service. Metrics such as user growth, revenue milestones, or testimonials prove you can execute your vision and signal to investors that their capital will accelerate measurable progress. For startups, even small wins from beta testing or pilot programs can be highlighted in your pitch. Explore insights on startup traction metrics
How can startups build credibility with investors before pitching?
Credibility is built through consistent visibility and thought leadership. Attend startup events, network with other founders, publish niche articles demonstrating expertise, and engage with investors informally before pitching. Highlight achievements, successful collaborations, and testimonials to showcase reliability. Investors want to trust that you can scale and execute effectively. Platforms like EU-Startups Events provide opportunities to network with industry leaders and VCs.
What role does PR play in startup positioning strategies?
Public relations is crucial for getting on the radar of investors and industry experts. Outreach through platforms investors frequently visit, such as TechCrunch or Sifted, ensures your startup gains visibility where it matters most. Additionally, startups can build exclusivity by launching beta programs or hosting invite-only demos highlighted in PR campaigns. Discover TechCrunch for startup PR
What networking practices can startups adopt pre-fundraising?
Effective networking requires building authentic relationships rather than attempting hard sells. Attend venture capital dinners, startup meetups, or accelerator programs focused on mentorship rather than pitching. When networking, aim to provide value, either through insights or connections, and reciprocate with support when possible. Trust, rather than urgency, should set the tone for your interactions. Explore EU-Startups Networking Tips
How can social media be leveraged for startup visibility?
Social media platforms like LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) provide an excellent way to showcase ongoing progress, forge connections, and build an audience. Regular updates about milestones, blogs, or thought leadership posts provide investors and partners insights into your company culture and trajectory. Tools such as Perplexity AI can help with analyzing engagement stats to refine strategy.
What common mistakes should startups avoid before approaching investors?
Never overlook the importance of visibility, no one will invest in a company they don’t see. Other major mistakes include overpromising ahead of delivering tangible achievements, inconsistent messaging across platforms, and presenting desperation during meetings. Founders should remain confident and strategic without resorting to exaggeration, which can hurt credibility. Authenticity and consistency across pitch decks and digital presence are essential for gaining trust.
How early should a startup start their fundraising reputation campaign?
Start your pre-fundraising activities months before sending your pitch deck. Engage with industry events, publish articles, announce beta or pilot programs, and build a consistent online presence well ahead of seeking capital. The groundwork lays the foundation for trust and visibility, ensuring investors pay attention when you formally begin fundraising. Learn about building startup momentum
Does visibility outweigh traction in deeptech industries?
Yes, credibility and thought leadership can be more critical than traction in industries such as deeptech or emerging technologies. Investors in these sectors often look at team expertise, vision, and technical execution. Providing research-backed content, attending niche conferences, and publishing in respected outlets can help build credibility. Find out how to position deeptech startups
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the “gamepreneurship” methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the point of view of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.
