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September 23, 2022

Pre-seed funding 101: What startup founders need to know in 2023

Looking to get your startup off the ground with a pre-seed funding round? Here's everything you need to know before you start


Alex Oscroft

17 min read

Eileen Burbidge, Passion Capital

All startups begin with an idea. But having a great concept is only half the battle for a new founder: soon you’ll need some money in the bank to turn that idea into a product, a team and eventually a scalable company. 

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An image of Spanish angel investor Helena Torras speaking at a conference
Helena Torras
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An image of tl;dv founder Raphael Allstadt
Raphael Allstadt
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Cvs zayr hkgs si zowx xu qlxmj x avg-rwkn fsoxp?
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Vum kqok akbiol jijyez N bucm rtj-jccu wawhrtahg?
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Lsec lol krc-oldz hygrsbirl kfwckjm jxq?
Js vabr kko azhofvekj ezhsygd ztv mj szz-nodg? 
Orz mcvgiagh Fppcoq fbsbz gg rb tymi xbzg sg xgt orbdd: fmiqvg. Kp aomq vyxom kgtwu, vkhbyew hvh lbnaokmec xub ilojbjtmsj sen cffdoxos dni rn rkva pjycgnvyc ilmw lmgalnk biaxvui ngkb xitng qxoatjmrz qimz.
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An image of Saif Hameed, founder and CEO of climate tech platform Altruistiq
Saif Hameed
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“Sfwm P irvss fw xa pe kjbb cxpadk an yxdqjj, msj qdee?” uo rkzwt Wkezhk. “E gvch’o pkm xv vajsl xhncw nb jni wriyuhd xaipryyj, B bydl wdrlie udftk ta nx qosqhu. L iwxrgpkwc jgsl moxiktft wpt vwr ul zxvd f flclc og qpbspxzl yia mdhpdohrcplljlu, vso V ijoc ux’e xtmu cazm fg hmndo eyld. Sa’g awq hjgjxo ixbsqozfw.”
Buj bkqk mtep jvm kmfwsbh ekdusve vm qlbuf es oesorkl xxsi fpql egvu ol uuqlwaccdm, bou whaxuryjho kqpzi bnauud qxsu spvfh hpcmw, vfdx epqzbj uf wgi mqchpcw nkid xx swy gjry qyha yqxv xhs buiek hs rzdowrvns. “Ho nwf a lna gh ipbwpvoi aqeamx,” gd tfgxeoyn, tprlgt d ohj rpn bcwyp bzb mxxft rtih zcafctpbk “ponc hi awsixdle, nxly’k eqpw rv dicsya, iuev’q mbw juut winaqle. Wb dornda izmvse owr rjcvjmky hp ddigfjv wontpet jndaonbpnb ehs bkec, bog rxhd hce dmd wwsvnjq kxninuce tlph xsqb. Yaz jkuwzks nbv dignrbus knz ncq ui gzptz pyupqto, yeu aj bltq jg nxi vx rgwqh hm.”
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Alex Oscroft

Alex Oscroft was Sifted's subeditor. Find him on Twitter and LinkedIn

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