Founder Advisor | fundraising & capital strategy

An experienced investor in your corner.

The strongest companies don't always tell their stories or run their fundraising processes as effectively as they should. And even the best founders benefit from an independent thought partner along the way.

I work selectively with venture-backed founders to translate real company momentum into a compelling investor narrative, a disciplined fundraising process, and the best possible financing outcome – and often continue as an ongoing advisor after the raise.

15+ years backing and advising high-growth companies from Seed to SCALE

15+ years backing & advising high-growth companies from Seed to scale

$400M+

Capital invested

40+

Companies backed

20+

Boards

~$8B

Follow-on capital raised

How I Help

Preparing companies to raise and operate at their best.

Narrative & Positioning

Clarify why the company matters, the "why now," what makes it different, and how it will win.

Materials & Financial Story

Sharpen the pitch deck, present traction and financials the way investors expect, and ensure the story reinforces the investment case.

Investor Strategy & Process

Identify the right investors, sequence outreach to build momentum, prepare for partner meetings, and help negotiate term sheets.

Ongoing Founder Advisory

After the round closes, continue working together on company-building, board and investor management, and the inevitable ups and downs of leading a company.

Who I Work With

Great companies don't always run great fundraises.

I work with high-potential, venture-backed companies preparing for critical financings, most often at Series A and beyond. I also work one-on-one with founders as an advisor, independent of any raise.

The best fit is a company with real momentum whose opportunity and strategic importance are not yet coming through clearly to investors, and where getting the narrative and process right can materially improve the financing outcome.

Engagements typically begin before a fundraise launches, continue through the process, and often evolve into an ongoing advisory relationship.

Approach

Selective, direct, and deeply involved.

I take on only a small number of companies at a time so I can work directly with each founder.

I challenge assumptions, provide a candid investor and board perspective, and get into the details of the narrative, pitch deck, financials, investor strategy, and process tactics.

The founder remains the person raising the capital. My role is to ensure the founder enters the market prepared, tells the strongest version of the story, and gets better as the process unfolds.

I take on only a small number of clients at a time so I can work directly with each founder.

I challenge assumptions, provide a candid investor and board perspective, and get into the details of the narrative, pitch deck, financials, investor strategy, and process tactics.

The founder remains the person raising the capital. My role is to ensure the founder enters the market prepared, tells the strongest version of the story, and gets better as the process unfolds.

I take on only a small number of companies at a time so I can work directly with each founder.

I challenge assumptions, provide a candid investor and board perspective, and get into the details of the narrative, pitch deck, financials, investor strategy, and process tactics.

The founder remains the person raising the capital. My role is to ensure the founder enters the market prepared, tells the strongest version of the story, and gets better as the process unfolds.

Background

I’ve spent my career on the other side of the table.

For the past 15 years, I've invested in technology companies across venture capital, growth equity, and private equity, including 10+ years at Felicis Ventures, where I was a General Partner. At Felicis, I invested more than $400 million into 40+ companies, served on 20+ boards, and helped founders navigate 100+ financings. Those companies subsequently raised ~$8 billion of follow-on capital.

I've seen firsthand how a founder's narrative, preparation, and process execution can materially change a financing outcome.

Contact

Planning for a consequential raise?

If you're expecting to raise capital in the next year or looking for an experienced thought partner as you scale, let's discuss whether I can help.

Niki Pezeshki