Discover 10 proven LinkedIn cold outreach templates built for VCs and angel investors. Source better deal flow, connect with founders early, and build your investment thesis publicly with AI-powered comments from Remarkly.
Get Started FreeFor VCs and angel investors, deal flow quality is a direct function of your visibility and reputation in founder communities. The investors who hear about the best companies first are rarely the ones waiting passively — they're the ones consistently showing up in conversations, commenting with conviction, and making it clear they're worth pitching. These 10 LinkedIn cold outreach comment templates are designed to help you do exactly that: establish your investment thesis publicly, open warm doors with founders before they're fundraising, and position yourself as the investor founders want in their cap table. Each template is built for a specific scenario you'll encounter in your sourcing workflow.
Reaching out to a founder whose company aligns with your stated investment thesis
Example
Really compelling what you're building at Fieldstack. The intersection of vertical SaaS and supply chain intelligence is an area I've been tracking closely — we've backed Flexport in an adjacent space and the data on near-shoring acceleration is hard to ignore. Would love to compare notes on how you're thinking about enterprise sales motion. Happy to share what we're seeing from the portfolio if useful.
💡 Use this when a founder posts about a milestone, product update, or market insight that directly maps to a sector you invest in. Leading with portfolio proof points signals credibility without being transactional.
Connecting with a pre-fundraise founder to get on their radar before the round opens
Example
Following Luminara's progress for a few months now — the traction you've shared on net revenue retention is exactly the kind of signal I look for in vertical AI tooling. Not reaching out about a round, just genuinely interested in the problem you're solving. If you're ever open to a 20-minute call to talk shop on AI adoption curves in mid-market enterprises, I'd find it valuable. No agenda beyond that.
💡 Use this 3 to 6 months before a founder is likely to raise. Removing the fundraising pressure entirely increases response rates and builds authentic rapport that pays dividends when the round does open.
Asking a shared connection to introduce you to a founder you want to meet
Example
Hey Marcus — I've been following Priya's work at Covalent and the developer tooling they're building is squarely in our thesis around infrastructure for AI-native teams. I know you know her well. Would you be comfortable making an intro? Happy to give you context on what we've backed in dev tools so you can decide if it's worth the social capital. No pressure either way.
💡 Use this when you have a second-degree connection to a founder you're targeting. A warm intro converts at 5 to 10x the rate of cold outreach — always exhaust this option before going cold.
Commenting on a founder's post to add analytical value and initiate a conversation
Example
Strong point on B2B pricing strategy. One data point that might be relevant from our vantage point: across 14 portfolio companies in SaaS, we've seen usage-based pricing compress initial ACV but dramatically improve net dollar retention. The nuance seems to be sales motion — companies that land with a low-friction trial tend to outperform on expansion revenue. Curious whether that matches what you're seeing at Orion.
💡 Use this when a founder publishes a thoughtful LinkedIn post about a market problem or company learning. An analytical, data-backed comment positions you as a value-add investor rather than a deal-chaser.
Offering a specific, high-value introduction to a founder to create reciprocity
Example
Saw your post about the challenge of hiring your first enterprise sales rep as a technical founder — that's a pattern we've seen across the board in developer tools. We have Retool that solved a very similar problem at Series A and I think David Hsu would give you 30 minutes if I made the intro. No strings attached. Just think it'd save you some iteration cycles. Want me to connect you two?
💡 Use this when a founder publicly surfaces a specific operational challenge that someone in your portfolio has already navigated. Concrete value offered upfront converts far better than a generic coffee chat request.
Reaching out to a potential LP or co-investor after they engage with your content
Example
Thanks for the thoughtful engagement on my post about AI infrastructure consolidation — your perspective on the commoditization of foundation models is one I don't hear often enough in early-stage investing circles. I'm James Calloway, Partner at Meridian Ventures. We focus on applied AI at pre-seed and seed and I've been thinking a lot about where defensibility actually lives in the stack. Would value a conversation if you're open to it — always looking to stress-test my thinking with people who've seen the market from your vantage point.
💡 Use this when a high-quality investor or potential LP comments meaningfully on one of your posts. Engaging them while the interaction is warm dramatically increases the probability of a response.
Following up with a founder you previously passed on but whose company has since de-risked
Example
Hi Nadia — we connected briefly around 18 months ago when Helix was pre-revenue. I passed at the time because the go-to-market thesis felt underdeveloped for the enterprise motion you were targeting, and I want to be straightforward about that. Since then, landing Siemens and Honeywell as design partners and crossing $1.2M ARR have clearly addressed those questions. I'd be interested in revisiting a conversation if you're open to it. I understand if the window has closed, but wanted to reach out directly rather than pretend the history didn't exist.
💡 Use this when a previously passed company posts about a meaningful milestone that addresses your original objection. Honesty about the pass builds more credibility than pretending it never happened.
Connecting a founder with a domain expert in your network to add value before investing
Example
Hey Tomás — followed your post on clinical workflow integration closely. I work with a number of digital health companies and think Dr. Sara Kim could add a lot to your thinking on EHR adoption barriers. She's spent 12 years at Epic and Johns Hopkins focused specifically on clinician change management. I'd be happy to make the connection — I think it'd be a high-signal conversation for you. Would that be useful?
💡 Use this when a founder posts about a specific technical or domain challenge where you have a relevant expert in your network. Value-first outreach from investors is rare — founders remember it.
Following up with a founder after meeting briefly at an event
Example
Great meeting you at SaaStr Annual last week, Camille. Our conversation about multi-product expansion strategy stuck with me — particularly your point on sequencing the second product before the first reaches saturation. I looked more closely at Archway afterward and the 140% net revenue retention is genuinely impressive for the stage you're at. Would be glad to continue the conversation if you're open to it. I invest in B2B SaaS with a focus on vertical software doing $500K to $3M ARR.
💡 Use this within 48 hours of an in-person event. Specificity is everything — reference the exact conversation point that stood out to signal you were genuinely listening, not just collecting business cards.
Reaching out to a founder to validate an investment thesis you're developing in their sector
Example
Hi Ren — I'm Alicia Park from Caravan Capital. I'm developing a thesis around AI-native legal workflow tools displacing legacy LegalTech incumbents and you're clearly one of the most informed operators in this space. I'm not reaching out about a deal — I'm in research mode and trying to pressure-test my assumptions before I move forward. Specifically, I'm trying to understand how law firms actually evaluate new software vendors and where the real decision-making authority sits. Would you be open to 20 minutes? I'll share everything I'm seeing across the sector in return.
💡 Use this when you're entering a new sector and want to build founder relationships while doing diligence simultaneously. Framing it as research rather than deal sourcing removes pressure and founders often respond generously when they feel like advisors rather than targets.
Lead with a specific data point or portfolio observation before making any ask. Investors who demonstrate analytical depth in their first message earn 3 to 4x more replies than those who open with generic compliments or meeting requests.
Never send a cold outreach message without referencing something specific the founder posted or said in the last 30 days. Recency signals that you're actively paying attention, not running a spray-and-pray sourcing campaign.
Use Remarkly to comment consistently on founders' posts before ever sending a direct message. By the time your DM arrives, you should already be a recognizable name in their notifications — warm cold outreach converts at a dramatically higher rate.
Always state your investment thesis and check size range clearly in outreach to founders. Founders filter investor conversations ruthlessly — giving them the criteria upfront saves both parties time and signals that you respect theirs.
Track every founder you outreach to in a lightweight CRM and set a 90-day follow-up cadence. Most deals are won in the second or third touchpoint, not the first — systematic follow-through is the compounding advantage most investors underinvest in.
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