How to Raise Pre-Seed and Seed

​How to Raise Pre-Seed and Seed
Insider tips on how top investors evaluate founders, what red flags to avoid, and how to attract the right backers.
Learn how to frame traction, think about valuation, and build real momentum in your raise.

​Raising your first round is one of the hardest parts of building a startup. In this session, Georgie Smithwick, Managing Director at Techstars London, sits down with Usman Gul, Founder & CEO of Metal.

​Metal has built an AI-powered operating system for founders raising venture rounds – the platform brings deep intelligence to fundraising workflows. Gul’s current startup (Metal) is backed by a16z and YCombinator. Prior to Metal, he raised $120m for his first startup (from First Round Capital and Harry Stebbings ‘20VC).

​Together, they’ll share practical insights on how to frame traction, think about valuation, and build genuine momentum in your raise—while avoiding the common pitfalls that turn investors off. Expect a candid, tactical discussion packed with real-world examples you can apply immediately.

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