Dear SaaStr: How Do I Write a Great Cold Email To VCs?
If you’re going to cold email SaaStr Fund —or any VC—you need to make it amazing.
A great cold email can absolutely work, and does work. But it has to stand on its own, and sell the deal — on its own.
Here’s how to craft one that gets my attention (and likely others too):
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Start with an incredible subject line. The subject line is your first impression. Make it so compelling that I want to open the email immediately. For example, “$1M ARR SaaS Startup Growing 15% MoM—Looking for a Partner” or “We’re the Next Rippling—$500k ARR, 10x YoY Growth.” Be specific and highlight something exceptional about your business.
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Get to the point immediately. In the first sentence, tell me why I should care. What’s the one thing that makes your startup stand out? Is it your growth rate, your traction, your team, or your market? For example: “We’re at $2M ARR, growing 10% MoM, and just signed our first Fortune 500 customer.” Don’t bury the lede—hook me right away.
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Share your best metrics. VCs love numbers. Include your ARR, growth rate, customer count, churn rate, or any other metric that shows traction. If you’re pre-revenue, focus on user growth, engagement, or other leading indicators. Be transparent and specific.
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Explain why you’re going to win. What’s your unique insight or unfair advantage? Maybe it’s your team’s deep domain expertise, a breakthrough product feature, or a massive market opportunity. Make it clear why you’re the one to solve this problem.
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Really Personalize it. Show me you’ve done your homework. Reference a tweet, blog post, or investment I’ve made that’s relevant to your pitch. For example: “I saw your post about how Gorgias scaled to $10M ARR with a small team. We’re tackling a similar market with a unique twist.” This shows you’re serious and not just spamming.
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Attach a killer deck. Don’t send a teaser deck—send the real thing. Make sure it’s clear, concise, and visually appealing. Include your key metrics, team, market opportunity, and product vision. A great deck can sell your story even before we talk.
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End with a clear ask. Be direct about what you want. For example: “We’re raising $2M to scale sales and marketing. Would you be open to a 20-minute call next week to discuss?” Make it easy for me to say yes. Fundraising is sales. Make the next step as easy and high value as possible.
Here’s a quick example of what a great cold email might look like:
Subject: $1M ARR SaaS Startup Growing 15% MoM—Looking for a Partner
Hi Jason,
I’m the CEO of [Startup Name], a SaaS platform helping [specific customer segment] solve [specific pain point]. We’re currently at $1M ARR, growing 15% MoM, with a 120% NRR and a 6-month payback period.
We’ve just signed [notable customer] and are seeing strong demand in [specific market]. My co-founder and I have deep experience in [relevant domain], and we believe we’re uniquely positioned to win this $X billion market.
I saw your investment in [similar company] and your post about [relevant topic]. We’re tackling a similar challenge but with a different approach, and I’d love to get your thoughts.
We’re raising $2M to scale sales and marketing. Would you be open to a 20-minute call next week? I’ve attached our deck for more details.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Title]
[Your Contact Info]
Even better, here are two actual examples. Make your cold email as good or better than these:
And more here and why many of the best early-stage VCs read and invest in cold emails:
