All investors are not the same, so we want to focus our search on specific investors that are most likely a fit for our startup.

Investors tend to have 3 primary criteria that they use to align with startups:

• Stage. What stage is the startup at? Pre-seed vs. Seed vs. Series A?
• Industry. Investors tend to invest in specific industries they know well.
• Location. Many investors like to invest close to home or in certain geographies.

Our initial pass is just as much about filtering out who not to talk to as it is finding the right prospects.