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Bay Area startups raised $90 billion in 2024 — 57% of all US venture funding.

They raised another $55B in Q1 2025 alone. Nearly half of global VC funding flowing into just one region.

Every day, 2-3 companies get flush with cash and start planning how to spend it.

Most sales teams completely miss this opportunity.

Here's a 4 step framework for turning funding activity into warm pipeline:

Post Funding Timeline

What actually happens after funding:

• Month 1: Internal planning, hiring decisions, budget allocation

• Month 2: New team onboarding, strategic initiatives finalized

• Month 3: The real work starts, active vendor evaluation begins

Here’s my take:

If you’ve already established a relationship, send something like this:

If you’re going in cold — wait.

(enjoy this song while you read the rest)

The 4-Step Framework:

Step 1: Find the Right Companies

Timing is everything. Use these tools to stay alert:

• Crunchbase: Set up keyword alerts for your industry + "Series A/B/C"

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator: Track funding posts from target accounts

• TechCrunch Daily: First to break funding news

Step 2: Understand their Stage

Speak to the specific needs of your ICP and match your message to their funding stage:

• Series A: Team building and product-market fit

• Series B: Operations scaling and market expansion

• Series C+: Efficiency, profitability, and market dominance

Match your message to their current problems and priorities.

Step 3: The Outreach Playbook

Most reps rush the relationship. Smart ones invest in it.

Month 1: Share relevant industry report: "Saw this report on Series B scaling challenges - Figure 3 shows what you're probably planning for."

Month 2: Comment on company LinkedIn updates about hiring or growth challenges - make intros if possible.

Month 3: Make the ask: “We've helped other Series B companies solve X so you don’t have to do Y. Want to see how"?

Step 4: Portfolio Connection Strategy

Map your existing customers to their investors firms. When those investors fund new companies, you've got instant warm introductions.

Example: Company XYZ just raised Series B from Accel Partners. You have 3 existing customers also in Accel's portfolio.

Real Life Example:

A few years back I was leading a Biz Dev organization where we were targeting early-stage companies. One trigger event we would always look for (fintech solution) was funding rounds - specifically Series A/B/C.

We had a few hundred customers but didn't realize investor connections.

One day, a rep on my team started mapping common investors using Crunchbase and doing proactive outreach to other portfolio companies — referencing our shared customers as social proof.

The progression:

• Targeted portfolio companies using existing customer references

• Built relationships across multiple companies per VC firm

• Approached VCs about formal partnerships and preferred pricing

Results:

• $600K+ in new pipeline

• 2 dozen of new customers from portfolio connections

• 7 strategic partnerships with multiple VC and PE firms

The insight: When you help one portfolio company succeed, investors introduce you to others.

Until next Thursday,

TSG