Every VC has a different approach to this.
Introductions
The most common approach and one you will find reiterated time and time again on the web is to get an introduction through a contact the VC knows.
This is the mature way of approaching a VC, especially the much larger Tier 1 VC’s. That contact could be an angel investor or an entrepreneur for example.
Going via an introduction means you are far more likely to get some air time with the VC.
The VC does not want to break filtered deal flow from his contact (provided that contact gives good deal flow and is reputable!).
These days most of our deal flow comes through the network of angels, entrepreneurs, accelerators and other VC firms that is continually being built.
This is highly curated and coveted and we see the majority of interesting companies this way.
Online applications
A lot of VC firms including ours have online applications but these channels typically generate a lot of white noise, often with propositions that do not fit our mandate.
We specify that we will not contact companies that are not of interest, we simply do not have the bandwidth being a small firm to respond to every enquiry some of who request an analysis of their proposition.
Office hours
We also run a separate channel online whereby you can apply for office hours – here we see six companies over two hours every other Friday and have been doing so for 16 months now.
Of all the companies we have met during office hours we have only invested in one.
Applicants are typically very early stage or are looking for advice and we try to be as helpful as possible, it is a quick and easy way to meet us and to start a dialog if you are not coming in via an introduction.
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