Prepare the financing round: Investors can expect these documents
Whether Seed or Series A: If you want to convince investors, you need convincing documents. Here you can find the complete checklist for your financing round.
The search for capital doesn't start with the pitch — but with preparation.
Investors make dozens of decisions every day. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to be professional — and have the right documents handy.
Regardless of whether you are a business angel, venture capital or family office: These documents should be in top form before your financing round.
1. Pitch deck — your strategic overview
The pitch deck is your company's calling card. It answers the most important questions in 10-15 slides:
Problem & solution
business model
Market & competition
team
Financial figures & forecast
Financing requirements
Tip: Not a desert of text. Clear key messages, strong visuals, clear structure.
2. Business plan or investment memo
Depending on the investor, a detailed business plan or a concise investment memo is required. Both should show the strategic depth behind the pitch deck.
Content:
Business model in detail
Revenue & cost structure
scaling steps
exit options
3. Financial planning (3-5 years)
This is where the wheat quickly separates from the chaff: sound financial planning is a must.
Key elements:
P&L, cash flow, balance sheet
KPIs (e.g. CAC, CLTV, EBITDA)
Scenarios & assumptions
Tip: Make planning assumptions transparent — no Excel gaming.
4. Cap table & investment structure
Investors want to know: Who owns how many shares? And how does that change after the round?
This includes:
current cap table
planned dilution
ESOP models (if available)
5. Due diligence documents
The closer the round gets, the more important it becomes to provide structured DD documents:
Social contracts
customer contracts
IP rights
Shareholder resolutions
Tip: Import into a virtual data room and proactively process it.
Bonus: What investors really want
In addition to hard numbers, the following also include:
Implementation strength of the team
Realistic roadmap
Trusted communication
Credibility in the market & competition
Conclusion: If you are prepared, you negotiate better
Investors immediately recognize whether a team is prepared — or is improvising. With the right documents, you not only have better opportunities, but also better ratings.
Prepare now: Investment readiness check with PALA
In a free initial consultation, we analyse your financing documents and provide specific feedback — structured, honest, impact-oriented.
