How do you actually find early-stage funding for a new product?
Founders at the pre-launch stage often don't know who to approach or when to start looking for angel investors, small beauty VCs, or grants. Without knowing how to get a vision or sample formula in front of the right people, they get stuck wondering whether to bootstrap, apply to incubators, or pitch to investors.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Drafting a business plan and building a pitch deck
- 2Reaching out to alumni networks for mentors and referrals
- 3Bootstrapping a prototype and getting early validation before seeking outside investment
- 4Going to a bank for a loan or applying for applicable grants
- 5Searching independently online
- 6Looking into state-specific and national startup programs
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I’m a student building my first product-based business and I’m currently pre-launch. I’ve been looking into small-business grants, incubators, pitch competitions, free legal/IP assistance, startup programs, etc.”source ↗
“So me and a couple of my friends a few ivy league grad students from 3 very different fields, ready to start something new (1 in marketing, 1 lawyer, 1 researcher).”source ↗
“But how/who/when do we start? Angel investors? Small beauty VCs? Bootstrapping?”source ↗
“We’re working everyday to continue developing our vision, but don’t know how to get it in front of people.”source ↗
“Essentially, we knows it’s possible but we would need the funding to get a sample formula”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 6How to get a small business loan to buy an existing business
- 10Funding my business out of my own pocket
- 10How to figure out what product to sell online
- 3How to fund inventory for a growing physical product business
- 5What to do before launching a product when you are scared
- 2Will VCs reject my startup because it's not AI?