Pre-seed fundraising: raise your first round the right way

Your first round shapes everything that follows

At pre-seed, you're not just raising money; you're setting the foundation for your entire company: ownership, structure, and investor relationships.

At dups, we help founders raise their first round the right way. Our integrated legal and financial team guides you from early investment strategy to closing, making sure your structure is clean, compliant, and ready for growth. We turn your first investor conversations into a deal that builds value, not confusion.

Why pre-seed structure matters

Many founders underestimate the impact of early decisions. A rushed cap table, unclear convertible terms, or loosely drafted agreements can create friction months or years later. What feels "fast" now often becomes expensive to fix when institutional investors arrive.

We help you avoid that. We make sure your company is set up to raise properly, with documentation that protects you, impresses investors, and scales to future rounds. Because the goal isn't just to raise money. It's to raise it cleanly, smartly, and with control.

Our pre-seed fundraising approach

1. Structuring your first round

We start by understanding your business model, capital need, and investor type: angels, friends and family, or early micro-funds. Together, we define your funding path: how much to raise, what instrument to use (equity, SAFE, or convertible note), and how to value your company realistically.

We then align your company's structure (shareholder setup, IP ownership, governance) so investors can step in without friction. This phase ensures you look credible and organized when you start raising.

2. Investor readiness and materials

At pre-seed, credibility is your biggest asset. We help you prepare the essentials: a clear financial model, a compelling one-pager or pitch deck, and basic legal documentation. We also guide you on messaging: how to talk to investors about valuation, risk, and vision in a way that earns trust.

Our role is to make sure you sound and look like a company worth backing, not just an idea.

3. Negotiation and closing

Once investors are interested, we help you navigate terms. We review or draft your term sheets, SAFE agreements, or convertible notes. We explain every clause (from conversion caps to investor rights) and model what they mean for your future dilution.

Then we coordinate closing: signatures, fund transfers, and documentation. You leave this round with a clean structure, ready for your seed or Series A, not something to "fix later."

What makes dups different

At dups, we integrate legal and financial advisory from day one. That means your valuation, your cap table, and your legal documents are consistent and scalable with no gaps and no guesswork.

We've worked with startups from first investor email to exit. We know where founders over-dilute, where terms go wrong, and what investors really expect. Our approach is pragmatic, fast, and founder-focused. You get institutional-grade structure from the very start without unnecessary complexity.

Deliverables you can expect

We deliver everything you need to raise your first round confidently:

• Pre-seed fundraising strategy and roadmap
• Company structuring and cap table setup
• SAFE or convertible note drafting
• Term sheet review and negotiation
• Shareholders' agreement (if equity)
• Closing coordination and investor documentation

Each deliverable is designed to give you a strong foundation legally, financially, and strategically.