Arāya Ventures Masterclass - Running an Effective Fundraising Strategy with Rupa Popat
At Arāya Ventures, we work closely with early-stage founders navigating the realities of building and scaling companies. Fundraising is one of the most important and often misunderstood parts of that journey. While capital is critical, understanding how investors evaluate opportunities, what makes a company investable and how venture dynamics shape decision-making is just as important.
This session is designed to give founders a clearer view of fundraising from the investor side of the table. It will explore how venture investors assess early-stage companies, how founders should think about timing and strategy when raising capital, and how founders can position themselves effectively when approaching investors.
The session will be led by Rupa Popat, Founder and Managing Partner of Arāya Ventures. Rupa is an exited entrepreneur and venture investor who works closely with founders from first investment through to scale. Arāya Ventures invests in early-stage companies across health, fintech, future of work and commerce, with a strong focus on AI-enabled businesses. The firm’s debut $26.3M Super Angel Fund was the first solo GP fund backed by the British Business Bank and has made more than 20 investments to date. Arāya’s $30M Global Fund now invests across the GCC, Europe and Asia. Rupa also founded the Arāya Ventures Investment Academy, which focuses on developing the next generation of angel investors.
This session will cover:
How venture capital works at the early stage
What investors look for when evaluating startups
How founders should think about fundraising strategy
How to approach conversations with investors
What a strong investment narrative looks like
Common challenges founders face when raising capital
This session is designed for founders who want to better understand how fundraising works from the investor perspective and how to approach the process with greater clarity.