How Much Should You Raise? The Smart Answer Isn’t What You Think.

Hi ,

If you’ve ever googled “how much should I raise?”, you’re not alone.
It’s one of the most confusing — and consequential — questions for founders.

The classic advice?
“Raise what you need for the next 18 months of runway.”
And sure, in an ideal world, that works.

But here’s the reality:

📉 You might not be able to raise that much.
💰 The market might only support a smaller round.
🧠 The smarter question is: What will the market let me raise — and how do I make that work?

Why Raising Less (Faster) Sometimes Wins

Momentum creates confidence.

If investors see you're building, shipping, and closing investors in a smaller round quickly — they lean in. Ironically, raising $300k, fast, can unlock your $1M round later.

A founder who raises $300k in weeks looks sharper than one stuck chasing $1M for 12 months. A smaller, faster close signals clarity, decisiveness, and traction — all things investors rate highly.

Every week you chase a larger round is a week you’re not hiring, building, or growing.
The perfect raise, nine months too late, can cost you the company.

Why the 18-Month Rule Isn’t a Law

The “18 months of runway” rule was made for ideal conditions.
But what if you:

• Can’t get to product-market fit on that timeline?

• Have a capital-intensive business model?

• Just aren’t seeing investor appetite at the size you’re targeting?

For many climate, nature, or deeptech founders — this is the norm.
And if you wait to raise the perfect round, you may never close anything.

The “Raise What You Can” Strategy

Here’s what smart founders do:

✅ Start with a plan for 12–18 months
✅ Test investor appetite early
✅ If your round isn’t landing, shift gears:
→ Close on what you can
→ Make that money stretch to hit key milestones
→ Stack momentum (and valuation) for a follow-on top-up

This isn’t settling.
It’s sequencing — and it works.

Founder Reality Check: Are You Chasing the Right Raise?

Here’s a quick diagnostic to help you gut-check your strategy:

How to Stack a Raise Without Spooking Investors

You don’t need to raise all your capital in one go.
You can structure your raise in tranches — e.g.:

💸 Raise $300k now on a SAFE
🧩 Top up from angels or follow-ons in 3–6 months after more traction
🔁 Use that momentum to convert more VCs or prep your next round

Just be clear upfront that this is a rolling close or top-up, not a new round.

Transparency always builds trust.

Final Thought

Raise what you can — but do it smart.
In a tough market, the founders who stay flexible and keep moving are the ones who get funded.

The goal isn’t to raise the biggest round.
It’s to raise the next round that gets you to the next milestone, with the least dilution and most control.

Raaise helps you figure out what’s realistic, find aligned investors, and stay in control of your raise.

Need help scoping your raise — or pivoting mid-process? Start here

Here’s to raising capital on your terms.

Amy and the Team @ Raaise

Powered by thousands of data-driven insights, our AI-enabled platform is designed to help founders run a faster, more efficient and more cost effective capital raise.

If you’re ready to raise smarter, sign up here and take your funding journey to the next level.