If you're getting ready to raise, these free investor databases save you hours of research and keep you from spraying cold emails at anyone with "partner" in their title. Use them to filter by stage, sector, geography, and check size, and build a targeted list of right-fit investors before you reach out.
How to Use Them
Start by defining your own parameters: your round size, stage, sector, and the check size you're after, then filter each database to investors who actually match. A targeted list of 30 well-matched investors beats a blast to 300. Track them in an investor CRM so you can manage outreach and follow-ups.
The Databases
- VC Sheet, a searchable investor database.
- Gritt.io, investor database.
- Visible, investor database.
- Signal by NFX, investor database.
- Gilion VC Mapping, explore investors.
What to Look for in a Match
A name on a list is not a fit. Before an investor goes on your outreach list, check three things.
- Stage: do they write checks at your round, whether that is pre-seed, seed, or Series A?
- Sector: have they backed companies in your space, and ideally not a direct competitor?
- Recent activity: are they still deploying, or has their last investment gone quiet?
An investor who led a round in your sector in the last year is worth ten who merely list it as an interest. Most of these databases show portfolio and recent deals, so use that signal before you spend a warm intro on someone.
Warm Beats Cold, Every Time
A database tells you who to reach, not how. The strongest path to any investor is a referral from a founder they have already backed, so once you have your list, map who in your network can introduce you to each name. Use the cold channel only when there is no warm one, and when you do, keep the note short and specific to why this investor in particular. The point of all this research is not a bigger list. It is a shorter one, full of people who are genuinely likely to say yes.