Skip to main content
RBC Thought Leadership AI, Technology and Innovation Ready to Take Your Company to the Next Level? 8 Tips for Raising Capital
AI, Technology and Innovation
AI, Technology and Innovation

Ready to Take Your Company to the Next Level? 8 Tips for Raising Capital

You've got your big idea. You've hired the best talent, and you're making great progress on your product. What's the next step?

Read time 2 minutes
You’ve got your big idea. You’ve hired the best talent, and you’re making great progress on your product. What’s the next step? Raising the capital you need to take your company to the next level. While that’s easier said than done, here are 8 fundraising tips to help you move forward and grow your business. https://youtube.com/watch?v=s9BgMqy5A-k%3Frel%3D0
Alternate YouTube video with closed captioning
 

1. Be Loud

Investors are looking to invest it’s what they do. Too often, they don’t hear from the Canadian firms that need capital.So make some noise. Investors are listening.

2. Be Distinct

The ability to stand out from the crowd is one of the most important qualities a business can have. You don’t have to do everything well – focus on the key attributes that will get investors’ attention.

3. Be Concise

When putting together a pitch for financing, build a concise presentation. Venture capitalists see a lot of presentations, and many look the same. Put together a few amazing slides, cut away the fluff, and make every word count.

4. Be Geographically Agnostic

Your audience isn’t Canada or the U.S. Look for the best investors – wherever they might be in the world. The great news is, the internet is geographically agnostic, and most investors are too.

5. Be Specific

Identify investors who are going to give you more than capital.Look for someone who specializes in the software you’re using, or understands your niche.

6. Be Ready to Answer Questions

The VC firms you pitch are going to ask lots of questions: specific questions, big questions, product questions. While you may know your business inside and out, be ready to articulate the problem you’re solving.

7. Be a Big Picture Thinker

Have a plan for the next 3, 5 and 10 years. VCs will want to know that you have a long-term vision for your company.

8. Be Ready to Network

Even if you’re not ready to scale up just yet, be aware of your need for investors down the road. Build a network of VCs, fellow entrepreneurs, senior executives, industry leaders, top engineers, and so on. Always have your business hat on.

This article is intended as general information only and is not to be relied upon as constituting legal, financial or other professional advice. The reader is solely liable for any use of the information contained in this document and Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”) nor any of its affiliates nor any of their respective directors, officers, employees or agents shall be held responsible for any direct or indirect damages arising from the use of this document by the reader. A professional advisor should be consulted regarding your specific situation. Information presented is believed to be factual and up-to-date but we do not guarantee its accuracy and it should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. All expressions of opinion reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by Royal Bank of Canada or any of its affiliates. This document may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, which are subject to RBC’s caution regarding forward-looking statements. ESG (including climate) metrics, data and other information contained on this website are or may be based on assumptions, estimates and judgements. For cautionary statements relating to the information on this website, refer to the “Caution regarding forward-looking statements” and the “Important notice regarding this document” sections in our latest climate report or sustainability report, available at: https://www.rbc.com/our-impact/sustainability-reporting/index.html. Except as required by law, none of RBC nor any of its affiliates undertake to update any information in this document.

Read This Next

From Ottawa to Orbit: Two Views on Canada’s Big Day

The season finale of Disruptors features Michael Sabia, Canada’s top public servant, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen

Own The Stack: Canada’s Data Sovereignty Test

Join us inside a Canadian data centre to discover what data sovereignty actually looks like and why it matters more than ever.

Can AI fix ER wait times?

Canada’s hospitals generate enormous amounts of data. The challenge is turning that data into better healthcare.

Important Notice Regarding Information on this Website and Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information on this website is intended as general information only and does not constitute an offer or a solicitation to buy or sell any security, product or service in any jurisdiction; nor is it intended to provide investment, financial, legal, accounting, tax or other advice, and such information should not to be relied or acted upon for providing such advice. Nothing herein shall form the basis of or be relied upon in connection with any contract, commitment, or investment decision whatsoever. The reader is solely liable for any use of the information contained herein, and neither Royal Bank of Canada (“RBC”, “we”, “our” and “us”) and its subsidiaries nor any of RBC’s affiliates nor any of their respective directors, officers, employees or agents shall be held responsible for any direct or indirect damage arising from the use of any information contained herein by the reader.

From time to time, we make written or oral forward-looking statements within the meaning of certain securities laws, including on this website, in filings with Canadian securities regulators or the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and in other communications. Such statements are subject to our caution regarding forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements on our website include, but are not limited to, statements relating to our economic and sustainability related objectives, vision, commitments, goals and targets as well as potential events and actions. By their very nature, forward-looking statements require us to make assumptions and are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties, which give rise to the possibility that our predictions, expectations or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that our assumptions may not be correct, and that our objectives, vision, commitments, goals and targets will not be achieved. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on these statements as a number of risk factors – many of which are beyond our control and the effects of which can be difficult to predict – could cause our actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements. ESG (including climate) metrics, data and other information contained on this website are or may be based on assumptions, estimates and judgements. For cautionary statements relating to the information on this website, refer to the “Caution regarding forward-looking statements” and the “Important notice regarding this report” sections in our latest sustainability report, available at: https://www.rbc.com/our-impact/sustainability-reporting/index.html.

Except as required by law, none of RBC nor any of its affiliates undertake to update any information on this website.

All expressions of opinion on this website reflect the judgment of the authors as of the date of publication and are subject to change. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the information or expressions of opinion presented herein and they should not be regarded as a complete analysis of the subjects discussed. No endorsement of any third parties or their advice, opinions, information, products or services is expressly given or implied by RBC or any of its affiliates.

All references to websites are for your information only. The content of any websites referred to on this website, including via website link, and any other websites they refer to are not incorporated by reference in, and do not form part of, this website.  This website is also not intended to make representations as to sustainability-related initiatives of any third parties, whether named herein or otherwise, which may involve information and events that are beyond our control.