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Fundraising Fit Check

Answer 15 short questions to see how prepared your startup looks for investor conversations, and what to fix first.

An indicative self-assessment. The result is based only on your answers. It does not predict funding success or investor interest, and it is not legal, financial or investment advice. No sign-up or contact details needed.

Question 1 of 15

What investors usually look at before they invest

Before a startup raises money, investors tend to ask the same few questions. Is there a real problem and real demand? Is anyone paying? Do the numbers make sense? Is the team committed? Is the company set up properly? The Fundraising Fit Check turns those questions into a short self-assessment so you can see where you stand. For a deeper walk-through, read our Fundraising Readiness Guide.

The six areas covered

  • Business model and market validation. How clearly you can explain how you make money, and what evidence shows customers want it.
  • Customer traction and revenue. Your product stage, active customers and the revenue you can show.
  • Financials and funding requirement. Projections, how much you need and why, and how well your accounts are kept. Good records are easier with financial statements and virtual CFO support.
  • Founder team and commitment. Whether founders are committed and the team covers the skills needed.
  • Company, ownership and compliance. A registered company, written ownership arrangements and up-to-date filings. See Company Registration, Legal Documentation, the Founders Agreement and the Shareholders Agreement.
  • Pitch and fundraising strategy. Your pitch deck and a realistic plan for which investors to approach.

Not sure which structure to register? Try the Business Structure Finder, or work out how co-founders might divide ownership with the Founder Share Split Calculator. All our free tools are in one place.

How the score works

  • There are 15 questions in 6 areas. Each answer scores from 0 (not started) to 3 (strong). "I'm not sure yet" counts as 0 and is listed as something to find out.
  • Questions have a weight from 1 to 3. Things investors usually check first, such as revenue evidence, a clear funding requirement and a registered company, count for more.
  • Each area score is the weighted points you earned divided by the weighted points possible, for the questions you answered. The overall score works the same way across all answered questions.
  • Early Stage is below 40%, Building Readiness is 40% to 69%, and Ready to Approach Investors is 70% and above.
  • Three items are marked critical: founder commitment, a registered company and documented ownership. If you answered any of them with the lowest option, the level is held at Building Readiness whatever the score.
  • Questions you skip are left out of the maths. If you answer fewer than 8 questions, no level is shown.

Please note

This tool is a general self-assessment. It does not know your market, your investors or your documents, and it cannot say whether you will raise money. Speak to a qualified adviser before you make fundraising or legal decisions.

FAQ

Fundraising readiness questions

Plain answers about how the check works and what it can and cannot tell you.

It looks at six areas investors commonly review: business model and market validation, customer traction and revenue, financials and funding requirement, the founder team and commitment, company registration, ownership and compliance, and your pitch and investor plan. You answer 15 questions and get a score for each area.
No. The result is an indicative self-assessment based only on your own answers. It does not predict funding success, investor interest or valuation. Investors make decisions for their own reasons, and the check only helps you see which basics are in place.
Early Stage means several basics are not yet in place. Building Readiness means you have a good foundation with gaps to close. Ready to Approach Investors means most areas look well prepared. The levels are set at overall scores of below 40%, 40% to 69% and 70% and above.
Three items are treated as critical: founder commitment, being a registered company and documented ownership. If you chose the lowest answer for any of them, the level is held at Building Readiness until it is covered, whatever your score.
No. You can skip any question and it is left out of the calculation. You need to answer at least 8 questions to see a level. Choosing "I'm not sure yet" counts as zero and is listed as something to find out.
Investors usually invest in a company that can issue shares, so most startups register a Private Limited Company before raising money. Whether it is right for you depends on your plans, so confirm it with a professional.
No. Your answers are scored in your browser and are not sent to a server or stored. The downloadable summary is created on your device. You do not need to give any contact details to see your result.