The Best Books For Startup Founders Looking To Learn About Fundraising

Please note that this page contains affiliate links. While we only recommend products that we believe in, we may benefit financially from any purchases you make.

 

Fundraising is one of the most important, and sometimes most difficult parts of leading a startup. Securing the right funding can be the difference between scale and failure.

But how do you learn how to explore the world of venture capital, angel investments and bootstrapping? Luckily, there are tons of great books out there that give advice on how to master the art of fundraising – from those that have done it successfully.

 

How Does Startup Fundraising Work?

 

Startups tend to go through different stages of fundraising as they grow, ideally to make sure they can continue growing and scaling. These types are called:

• Pre-seed funding: This is the first stage of funding where founders might use savings, friends or family money to get started.
• Seed funding: At this stage, startups look for angel investors or seed venture capital firms to invest in them and fund their first stage of growth.
• Series A, B, C (and beyond): As the business grows, it moves on to bigger funding rounds. These rounds are used to grow the business.

Depending on how much money a start-up is looking to raise, they will either look for investors themselves or work with a VC firm. From there, they will pitch their ideas to investors, lay out the terms of their investment and probably undergo some form of due diligence to make sure everything they have said is verified.

Once this stage is over, the funds are released and teams can get to work with their growth plans.

Here, we take a look at the best books for nailing that perfect founder fundraising pitch:

 

 

The Art of Startup Fundraising

 

 

In this book, Alejandro Cremades tells entrepreneurs everything they need to know before they embark on their fundraising journey.

He talks about methods of raising money, such as crowdfunding and online fundraising platforms, but also covering traditional venture capital routes.

This guide is particularly useful for tech founders and those looking to raise money for their business.

Buy the book here

 

Raising Capital: Get the Money You Need to Grow Your Business

 

 

This book covers everything you need to know about growing your business through the art of investing.

With tools for preparing for pitches, drafting business plans and checklists to work through, it’s the perfect partner in creating an engaging and successful pitch.

Buy the book here

 

Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist

 

 

If you want to understand the world of venture capital, then this book is for you. Written by seasoned venture capitalists Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson, this book breaks down everything you need to know.

It’s full of advice on how to negotiate with VCs and avoid common mistakes that many first-time founders fall into.

Buy the book here

 

Funding Your Startup and Other Nightmares

 

 

If you’re finding it difficult to fund your startup, then this book is for you. It goes through stories of founders that successfully raised money and how they did it.

This catalogue of stories is all about how to learn from the success and failures of others to craft the perfect pitck.

Buy the book here

 

Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It

 

 

Sand Hill Road is the place that Silicon Valley entrepreneurs go to raise their funds. This book is written by a VC managing partner who lets you in on all the things VCs look for when deciding to pitch.

Kupor explains the fundraising process from both sides of the coin, making it a perfect read for founders trying to understand how to appeal to critical VCs.

Buy the book here

 

Pitch Anything: An Innovative Method for Presenting, Persuading, and Winning the Deal

 

When it comes to fundraising, you’re going to be judged on your pitch.

This book takes founders through how to structure their pitch in a way that interests investors. fundraising often comes down to one thing: the pitch.

This book takes you though proven methods for creating great pitches, giving founders the blueprint they need to attract investors.

Buy the book here