It’s easy to reduce investment to numbers: valuation, runway, dilution, ROI. But behind every funding round is a relationship with investors. And the best ones, I mean the ones that truly move the needle, are built on something more than capital. They’re built on trust, belief, and alignment. If you’re an agrifoodtech startup seeking investors, these actionable tips will help you turn them into long-term allies.
“Show me the money”! This quote from the movie Jerry Maguire (1996) is perhaps one of the most famous lines in movie history. The essence of the story, in my view, is that making money isn’t purely transactional. It’s grounded in trust, loyalty, and genuine relationships. The same goes for investment partnerships. As an Investor Partnership Manager I always say great investment partnerships aren’t transactional – they’re transformational.
In the evolving landscape of agrifood technology, where scientific promise intersects with environmental urgency and the complexities of early-stage finance, startups require more than capital. They need believers. And believers need a reason to believe.
So how do you make an investor not just back you, but root for you?
“Great investment partnerships aren’t transactional”
What Investors Want (Beyond the Deck)
Before writing the cheque, most investors are asking themselves two big questions: Is this a big enough problem? and Is this founder’s vision bold enough to solve it?
There are a lot of things investors look for, but two are fundamental. One is that the startup is solving a clear, significant problem in a large and growing market. The second is that the founder has a compelling vision to disrupt the market—not just a clever solution, but a strategy to shake things up.
“A startup should solve a clear, significant problem in a large and growing market and second is that the founder has compelling vision to disrupt the market.”
Take the recent StartLife Alum, Veridi Technologies that is using automated microscopy to identify nematodes in soil: a small, technical detail with big implications. It sounds niche, but it’s tackling a manual, time-consuming bottleneck in soil health analysis. And because nematodes (‘worms’) are also proxies for biodiversity, the market potential is huge. That’s what investors like to see: a clear problem, an elegant solution,a highly qualified team and a bold vision to scale.
Three Ways How to Make Investors Fall In Love
Startups often overlook the art of investor matchmaking. Too many reach out blindly, but great fundraising starts with fit.
Let me give you my top three strategies to win hearts and term sheets:
- Strategic Alignment
First, understand the investor’s thesis. Are they focused on impact? Biotech? Climate? If you’re working on biostimulants and pitch a fintech investor, you’re wasting both your time. Founders should dive into past portfolios, stage preferences, and regional focus to ensure a meaningful match. - Show You Know How to Spend
Agrifood innovation is capital intensive. So investors want to see you’re smart about your capital strategy. That means securing non-dilutive funding (like grants), launching pilot projects with customers, and pursuing co-development deals. When a startup shows that most of the capital will go into scaling—not just de-risking R&D, this is a huge green flag. - Build Momentum Before the Money
The biggest mistake? Waiting until you need funding to talk to investors. Momentum is about building a relationship before the cheque. Keep them updated. Invite them to your pilot launches. Ask for advice. Make them feel like they’re already part of the journey. When the time comes, investing becomes the obvious next step.
Want to get more tips and insights?
These are my 3 tips on How to Fall in Love with Your Investor. I hope these will be useful to you!
Want to know more about the strategies, know-hows, and red flags behind your investor relationships? Join me at F&A Next on 21–22 May, where I will dive deeper into this in our exclusive breakout session:
How to Fall in Love with Your Investor.
-Best. Samuel Rapolu, Investor Partnership Manager at StartLife.
