We do not run a programme
No cohorts, no demo day, no mandatory sessions. You get people who pick up the phone instead of a curriculum.
Approach
How we invest, and what happens next.
We aim to be the easiest process a founder goes through while raising. Clear questions, quick answers, and the reasoning shared either way.
The basics
Everything you would ask on a first call.
- Founded
- 2014, London. Offices in New York and Singapore since 2019.
- Stage
- Pre-seed and seed. Occasionally a Series A when we know the team well.
- Cheque size
- $500k to $6M initially, with reserves for later rounds.
- Ownership
- We target 10 to 15 percent and will go lower for the right team.
- Geography
- Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. Remote teams welcome.
- Capital
- Three funds, $420M under management. Backed by endowments, foundations, and founders we have worked with.
- Decision time
- Two to three weeks from first meeting to term sheet.
Process
Five steps, two to three weeks.
Nothing here is unusual. The difference is that we hold to the timeline and tell you where you stand at each point.
01
A first conversation, usually 45 minutes
No deck required, though send one if it helps. We want to understand the problem, why you, and what you have already learned that other people have not.
02
A second meeting with the wider team
You meet the people who would work with you. We share our early view honestly, including the parts we are unsure about. If we are not the right fit, we say so here.
03
Diligence that respects your calendar
Two weeks, not two months. We speak with customers, look at what you have built, and pressure test the market with people who know it. You see the same references we do.
04
A decision with reasons attached
Yes or no, with the thinking behind it. Terms are standard and we do not negotiate ratchets or heavy governance at seed. If it is a no, you get the memo we wrote internally.
05
After the wire
We help with hiring, customer introductions, and the next round. We do not sit in your inbox. Most founders speak with us every two weeks, more when something is on fire.
Conviction
We would rather be early and wrong than late and comfortable.
Being early means backing a team before the market agrees with them. That is uncomfortable, and a fair share of those bets do not work.
The alternative is worse. By the time a category is obvious, the founders who understood it first have already built a two-year lead, and the price reflects it.
So we make eight to ten new investments a year, hold about 60 percent of each fund in reserve, and double down when the evidence arrives.
Straight answers
What we are not.
Fit runs both ways. If any of this sounds wrong for your company, we would rather you know now.
We do not take board control
One board seat at most, and only when it is useful. Founders keep control of their own company for as long as possible.
We do not invest in things we cannot judge
If we lack a view on your market, we will tell you rather than take up six weeks of your time to reach the same conclusion.
Questions
Before you get in touch.
Do I need a warm introduction?
No. Around a third of the companies we have funded came in cold. We read everything sent to pitch@rifatela.cool and reply either way.
How long until I hear back?
Five working days for a first response. Two to three weeks from first meeting to a decision if we move forward.
Will you lead the round?
Often. We led or co-led 78 percent of our first cheques. We are also happy to follow when a good lead is already in place.
Do you invest pre-product?
Yes, if the team has unusual insight into the problem. Roughly a quarter of our pre-seed investments had no product at the time.
Tell us what you are building.
Send a short note. We read every one and reply within five working days, whatever the answer.