Stop chasing investors.
Build the presence that
makes them come to you.
Build the presence that
makes them come to you.
I help founders build a LinkedIn presence that puts them on investors' radar so when the round opens, the relationship is already there.
Does this sound familiar?
- You sent 50+ cold emails to investors.
A few replied. None converted. - You got on a call, and it went well.
Then silence. - You don't have time to fundraise and build the company at the same time.
- You follow up twice, and then stop because it feels like chasing.
- Every new investor conversation starts from zero. Nothing compounds.
- Someone told you to "just post on LinkedIn". You did. Nothing happened.
- You're not sure if the problem is your deck, your story, or your timing.
- You burned through your warm intros.
The next step is unclear.
The round doesn't start when you announce it.
It starts months earlier.
It starts months earlier.
Investors don't make decisions after one call. They make them after months of quietly watching your thinking, your progress, and your ability to build relationships. By the time you're ready to raise, the investors who will say yes have usually been following you for a while.
Cold outreach asks for trust that hasn't been built yet. That's why it rarely converts.
Cold outreach asks for trust that hasn't been built yet. That's why it rarely converts.
Fundraising is not a campaign you launch.
It's a relationship you build before you need it.
This is not about posting more.
It's about being found by the right people.
It's about being found by the right people.
Most founders who try LinkedIn for fundraising do the same thing: post company updates, share milestones, maybe write a few thoughts on their industry. Then nothing happens and they conclude it doesn't work.
It doesn't work because the content isn't doing what they think it's doing. Investors are trying to answer a simple question: is this a founder worth paying attention to?
It doesn't work because the content isn't doing what they think it's doing. Investors are trying to answer a simple question: is this a founder worth paying attention to?
That's what the work is actually about: a clearer story. One that puts the right signals in front of the right people, and keeps them close enough that when you're ready to raise, the conversation has already started.
We help you get in the room: the digital room where investors are already talking. You show up in their feed, engage in their conversations, and build the kind of context that turns a cold name into a familiar one. That's where relationships actually begin.
We help you get in the room: the digital room where investors are already talking. You show up in their feed, engage in their conversations, and build the kind of context that turns a cold name into a familiar one. That's where relationships actually begin.
- NarrativeHow you talk about what you're building, why you're the one building it, and what that tells investors about your ability to execute
- PresenceA LinkedIn profile and content rhythm that works while you're running the company
- TimingKnowing when to build awareness, when to deepen relationships, and when to actually open the round
What we work on together
Every founder comes in at a different stage. Some are six months out from a raise. Some just burned through their first round of outreach and need to rethink. Some haven't started yet and want to build the foundation before they do.
The work adjusts to where you are.
But there are things we always do.
The work adjusts to where you are.
But there are things we always do.
We start with your story
What you're building, why you, why now, and how that reads to an investor who knows nothing about you yet. Most founders are too close to their own company to see where the story breaks down. That's where we begin.
Then we build your presence
Your LinkedIn profile, your content approach, the rhythm that works while you're also running a company. A strategy for what to say, to whom, and when.
Then we work the timing
When to start warming up investors. When to deepen specific relationships. When the moment is right to open the round and how to do it without burning the goodwill you've built.
This is ongoing work. It runs alongside your fundraising, not ahead of it. The exact scope depends on your stage, your timeline, and what you're trying to close.
The details we figure out together.
The details we figure out together.
Who This is For
-
This is for you if:
- You're preparing for a raise and want to build the foundation before you open the round
- You're willing to show up consistently and let the relationship develop over time
- You understand that investors fund people, not decks
- You're open to rethinking how you tell your story
- You want inbound interest, not just a bigger outreach list
-
This isn't for you if:
- You need investors this week
- You're looking for automated outreach or a bulk email campaign
- You're not willing to be visible and put your thinking out there
- You want someone to raise money for you
- You're treating fundraising as a checkbox, not a relationship
Fundraising Strategist
Maria Poly
- 15+ years in fundraising
- $100M+ raised directly and indirectly for 5+ funds and 10+ startups
- TMT Investments
- Blockchain Co-Investors
- Pantera Capital
- Early-stage VCs
I spent 15 years in fundraising inside VC funds, alongside founders, and on both sides of the table. I ran investor relations at TMT Investments (AUM:$200m+ ), Blockchain CoInvestors (AUM: $350m+) Pantera Capital (AUM: $1B+) and others. I worked with early-stage founders trying to get their first check and with GPs trying to close their next fund. I got my FINRA licenses, worked at a boutique investment bank, and then walked away from it to come back to early-stage venture. That's where the work felt real.
Along the way I kept seeing the same thing. The founders who raised weren't always the ones with the best ideas. They were the ones who were already known. Who had the right school on their resume, or the right person willing to make a call on their behalf.
I don't think that's how it should work.
There are founders building genuinely important things who don't have a Stanford network or a warm intro to a top-tier fund. They're not less capable. They just haven't had a way in.
That's what I'm trying to change. If you know how to tell your story, and you know where to tell it, the network catches up. I've seen it happen. That's the work.
Along the way I kept seeing the same thing. The founders who raised weren't always the ones with the best ideas. They were the ones who were already known. Who had the right school on their resume, or the right person willing to make a call on their behalf.
I don't think that's how it should work.
There are founders building genuinely important things who don't have a Stanford network or a warm intro to a top-tier fund. They're not less capable. They just haven't had a way in.
That's what I'm trying to change. If you know how to tell your story, and you know where to tell it, the network catches up. I've seen it happen. That's the work.
Get in touch
If this resonates
If this resonates
If what I'm describing sounds like where you are, and you want to talk through what it could look like for you specifically, book an intro call.
And if you're not ready for that yet, follow me on LinkedIn. I write about fundraising, social selling for founders, and what I see working in the field. No formulas. Just what's real.
And if you're not ready for that yet, follow me on LinkedIn. I write about fundraising, social selling for founders, and what I see working in the field. No formulas. Just what's real.
