Ever wonder why some cold emails spark instant responses while others fall flat?
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The truth is, great outreach isn’t just about having the right contact data — it’s about how you present yourself, your offer, and your understanding of the recipient’s situation.
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When reaching out to recently funded startups, timing, relevance, and clarity are everything. They’re at a pivotal point, deciding how to use their new funding, and your email needs to show you can help them at this critical moment.
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This guide will help you craft short, direct, and benefit-driven emails that feel timely and helpful — not just another generic pitch.
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We’ll also cover why you should avoid over-personalization fluff, how to test different approaches, and when to introduce richer media like video.
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Founders at startups receive a lot of outreach, but the good news is most of those emails are long, boring, and off-target. That means it’s actually not that hard to cut through the noise if you’re strategic. Forget irrelevant details (like where they went to college) — what matters is how you can help them right now.
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Key Principles:

Referencing their funding event is genuine personalization. It’s timely, relevant, and proves you’re tuned in to their situation.
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Founders and decision-makers care about outcomes, not fluff. Frame your offer around their core motivations:

Keep it simple and outcome-focused. Don’t drown them in features.

Before the recipient sees your carefully crafted message, they see your subject line. If it’s too long, too “salesy,” or feels like a pitch, your email will get deleted without a second thought.
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The subject line’s job isn’t to cram in your entire value proposition—it’s just to spark enough curiosity to make them open the email.
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Keep It Short & Casual:

Spark Curiosity, Not Confusion:

You can also reference their recent funding right in the subject line, making it clear why you’re reaching out at this specific moment. For example: ‘Congrats’ or ‘Post-round growth’ immediately signals relevance and timeliness.
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Example Subject Lines by Industry:

By making your subject line short, natural, and slightly intriguing, you increase the odds that your recipient will open your message and actually read what you have to say.

A simple formula: Intro (Funding), Value, CTA, Opt-Out.

Keep it tight and easy to skim.

In the age of AI, mentioning their alma mater or a local coffee shop won’t impress anyone. They know it can be automated. Instead, rely on the one piece of personalization that truly matters: their funding event.

Meaningful Personalization:

Knowing about their recent funding round isn’t easily accessible info, so mentioning it shows you’ve genuinely done your homework rather than just scraping their LinkedIn profile.

You don’t have to write every email by hand. Tools like Instantly, Apollo, and Hubspot let you upload lead lists from Revli and use variables like {FirstName} and {FundingRound} to personalize each message.

This way, your outreach looks handcrafted, but you’re working smart, not hard.

Below are three example scenarios targeting recently funded startups. Each references their funding, keeps it short, and focuses on an outcome.
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First Email:

Subject: Congrats
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Hey [Name] — congrats on your recent funding! Noticed your announcement last week and wanted to reach out.
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We help startups launch targeted ad campaigns that turn fresh capital into measurable growth.
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We handle everything from audience targeting to optimization, so you can focus on scaling your business, not micromanaging campaigns.
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Interested?
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Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Your Title] @ [Your Company]
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​Not interested? Just reply ‘no’.
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Follow-Up (2 days later):
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“Hey [Name] — emailed you a couple of days ago about turning fresh funding into measurable growth through targeted ad campaigns.
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You didn't reply, so thought sending a personalized video might grab your attention:
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Our approach ensures every step of your campaigns—targeting, optimization, and beyond—is handled seamlessly, freeing you to focus on big-picture growth.
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Let me know if you'd like to hear more details or discuss further.
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Thanks,
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[Signature]
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Not interested? Just reply ‘no’.
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Initial Email:
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Subject: New hires
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“Hey [Name] — congrats on your seed round! Saw it hit the news last week.

We specialize in helping newly funded startups fill key roles fast, freeing you to focus on strategic growth instead of resume piles.
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Interested?
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Thanks,
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[Your Name]
[Your Title] @ [Your Company]
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​Not interested? Just reply ‘no’.
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Follow-Up (2 days later):
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“Hey [Name] — after a funding round, timing is everything, and we handle the entire hiring process end-to-end, so you’re not buried in screening and admin.
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I’ve included a quick, personalized video below to show how seamless this can be:
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Our approach ensures your new capital goes straight into building the right team, not getting lost in tedious hiring tasks.

Let me know if you'd like to discuss,
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Thanks,
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[Signature]

Not interested? Just reply ‘no’.
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Initial Email:
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Subject: Faster support
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Hey [Name] — saw you just secured your Series A, congrats!
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Our chat app helps growing startups handle more inquiries and users without overwhelming the team, improving response times and customer happiness.

Interested in learning more?
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Thanks,
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[Your Name]
[Your Title] @ [Your Company]
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​Not interested? Just reply ‘no’.
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Follow-Up (2 days later):
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Hey [Name] — checking back in. Post-funding growth often means more users and more questions. Our tool keeps support smooth and efficient.
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Here’s a quick video I filmed for you:
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Let me know if you'd like to discuss or see a quick demo,
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[Signature]

Not interested? Just reply ‘no’.

Asking for a 30-minute call or a demo in the first email can feel like too big a leap. Start small. All you need is a simple ‘yes’ or ‘I'm interested’ from them.

Once they show interest, you can schedule a call or send more info in a follow-up.

Low-friction CTAs like “Interested?” or “Should I share more details?” make it easy for them to respond. This small step gets your foot in the door without overwhelming them.
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You’ve seen examples of one follow-up, but consider using 2-3 more. Each follow-up should be spaced further apart, giving the prospect breathing room:

Avoid the cringey “breakup” email that tries to guilt the prospect into responding. It comes off as needy and isn’t effective. Instead, keep it professional and respectful. Sometimes, people are genuinely busy or just not ready.
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By spacing out your follow-ups, you give them time to respond if they’re interested, without pestering them.
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For the third follow-up, keep it super simple. For example: “Hey {First_Name}, any interest in {your value prop}, or not a fit?”
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This brief reminder references the original value prop and makes it easy for them to say “no” if it’s not right for them.

Don’t send a video link in the first email. Wait until the second email and send it as a reply to the original thread. Once the initial email lands in their primary inbox, the reply also will. Sending an HTML-heavy video link in your first email will likely trigger spam filters.
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No one gets it perfect on the first try. A/B test different subject lines, value props, and CTAs. See which variants drive more positive replies. Over time, refine your messaging.

We’ll dive deeper into metrics and optimization in Article 11 (“How to Track and Measure Outreach Success (What Metrics to Watch)”). The only way to find the best approach is to experiment and learn from your results.

From previous guides, you know warming up your inbox and maintaining strong deliverability is crucial. Sending short, relevant emails post-warmup will increase your odds of hitting the inbox and sparking real conversations.

Role-Based Relevance (Without Fluff):
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While you’re avoiding superficial personal details, consider the recipient’s role. A Head of Sales might respond better to revenue-focused messaging, a CTO might care more about technical ease of integration, and a COO might prioritize operational efficiency. Adapting your core benefit to their job function can increase relevance without resorting to trivial personalization.

Tone and Style:
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Aim for a friendly, approachable tone. You want to come across as a helpful partner, not a pushy salesperson. Steer clear of overly formal language or slang that might feel insincere. Think professional yet warm.

Creating a Sense of Urgency (Without Pressure):
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It’s okay to hint that now is the perfect time to engage. For example, “right after your funding round is the ideal time to optimize X.” Keep it genuine and tied to real benefits rather than forced urgency.

Different Funding Stages, Slightly Different Angles:
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While you’re targeting recently funded startups, a Seed stage company might value cost savings and initial customers more, whereas a Series A/B startup may focus on scaling teams or infrastructure. Subtly adjust your messaging as you learn more about their stage.

Consistent Brand Voice:
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As you scale your outreach, ensure all messages maintain a consistent voice and style. This builds trust, recognizability, and a cohesive brand image.
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While email is often the most direct and reliable channel, don’t be afraid to use a multi-channel approach. Recently funded startups might respond well to:

This multi-channel approach can increase your chances of engagement and help you stand out, especially when reaching busy founders and executives.

You’ve got the blueprint for impactful emails. Next in the Revli Outreach Playbook, we’ll show you how to automate your outreach sequences — saving you time, preserving personalization, and scaling your efforts effortlessly.

Keep refining your approach. With testing, patience, and continuous improvement, you’ll discover the messaging sweet spot that turns cold prospects into warm leads!