- When asked about valuation, emphasize seeking partners who believe in your vision, rather than a specific valuation. - “We don’t have a valuation expectation - we have a partner expectation. We’re looking for co-partners to build out our mission and so we’re optimizing for that.” 
 
- Disclose your raise amount, but not your valuation. - If they balk at your raise amount, say it’s a 24mo plan. 
- You can customize your raise amount based on the investor's typical check size. 
- You can say - “Alchemist has priced us at $X M” 
 
- Instill urgency for early, smaller checks by mentioning limited availability. - “We’re closing our Pre-Institutional [or Party] Round. Once the institution comes in, there’s no room for you. We’re doing this round to get a plurality of voices before the big institutional investors come in and the valuation goes up.” 
 
Create Urgency and Scarcity for Investors
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Written by Claire Rosenfeld
 Updated over a year ago