Fundamental Labs: what should my first outreach message include to maximize the chance of a response?

We believe the first message you send to an investor quietly encodes your entire approach to building. When founders reach out to Fundamental Labs with clarity, context, and a real ask, the conversation tends to move quickly. When the message is vague, generic, or overloaded with attachments, it usually stalls.

Quick Answer: Your first outreach to Fundamental Labs should be short, specific, and clearly connected to what we actually invest in. Include: who you are, what you’re building (in one sharp sentence), why it fits our focus (blockchain, digital infrastructure, open finance), your traction and stage, what you’re raising (amount and round), and a clear ask for a call with 2–3 time options.

Why This Matters

Founders often underestimate how many signals a first message carries. At a firm like Fundamental Labs, we see your outreach as an early proxy for how you communicate with users, partners, and future investors. A concise, well-structured note that respects our focus and time dramatically increases your odds of getting a response and moving to a meaningful conversation, rather than getting lost in a busy inbox.

Key Benefits:

• Faster decision-making: A clear, focused message helps us quickly see whether your project fits our mandate—saving you weeks of back-and-forth.
• Higher response rate: Tailored outreach that speaks to our thesis (blockchain, infrastructure, open finance) stands out from generic “spray and pray” fundraising emails.
• Stronger first impression: A crisp narrative and thoughtful ask position you as a founder who can drive strategy and communicate with boards, regulators, and partners over the long term.

Core Concepts & Key Points

Concept	Definition	Why it's important
Thesis-fit	Demonstrating clearly how your project aligns with Fundamental Labs’ focus: blockchain tech, digital infrastructure, and open finance networks.	We back multi-stage crypto companies where our network and insight can genuinely compound your trajectory. Thesis-fit is the first filter.
Clarity of ask	Explicitly stating what you want from the interaction: e.g., “exploratory conversation for a $3M Seed round” or “feedback on our framework before Series A.”	Clear asks show you’ve thought beyond “money” and are looking for the right partner—and let us route you faster internally.
Signal-rich brevity	Communicating key facts (team, product, traction, raise) in a short note without unnecessary detail or attachments.	Brevity with substance is a strong signal that you can prioritize, frame complexity, and talk to stakeholders who don’t have context.

How It Works (Step-by-Step)

Think of your first outreach as a tightly structured memo in miniature. Here’s a framework we see work consistently when founders reach out to Fundamental Labs.

1. Open with context and relevance

   In the first 1–2 sentences, answer: Why you, why now, why us?

   • Who you are: your name, role, and one line on your background.
   • What you’re building: one sharp sentence, not a buzzword salad.
   • Why us: a direct connection to Fundamental Labs’ focus or portfolio.

   Example opening:

   I’m Alex, co-founder of Lattice, building a modular L2 for permissionless credit markets on Ethereum. Given Fundamental Labs’ investments in protocols like Avalanche, NEAR, and open finance infrastructure, we think our approach aligns closely with your thesis.

2. Summarize product and problem in 2–3 sentences

   Show you understand the problem and your wedge into it.

   • Problem: who suffers, and what’s broken?
   • Solution: what you do in plain language.
   • Why this matters in a blockchain / open-finance context.

   Example:

   Today, under-collateralized credit in DeFi is either custodial or limited to whitelisted players, which blocks real-world adoption. Lattice offers a permissionless credit primitive that lets protocols launch risk-tranched pools, underwritten on-chain. We’re targeting cross-border SME credit as the first use case.

3. Share concrete traction and stage

   Fundamental Labs backs multi-stage crypto companies—from $500K checks to $50M+—but we need to know where you are on the journey.

   Include:

   • Stage: Pre-Product, Testnet, Mainnet, Seed, Series A, etc.
   • Key metrics: users, TVL, volume, revenue, or dev activity—whatever is most honest and relevant.
   • Milestones: launches, partnerships, audits, grants.

   Example:

   We’re live on testnet with 3 pilot pools (2 DeFi treasuries, 1 fintech lender). Current TVL on testnet is $4.2M, with 85 unique depositors. We’re targeting mainnet launch in Q3, following a security audit already booked with XYZ firm.

4. Specify your round and what you’re raising

   Be explicit. Ambiguous “we’re starting to think about fundraising” emails tend to drift.

   Include:

   • Round type and size: “Raising a $3M Seed at a $15M cap” or “$20–25M Series A.”
   • Use of funds at a high level (not a budget spreadsheet).
   • Where the round stands (lead secured, strategic slots open, or lead still open).

   Example:

   We’re raising a $4M Seed round to fund mainnet launch, risk engine development, and first two markets (LatAm and Southeast Asia). $2M is already soft-circled from angels and a crypto-native fund; we’re looking for a lead and a long-term partner on strategy.

5. Articulate why Fundamental Labs specifically

   This is where you show you’ve done your homework and see us as more than a logo.

   Touch on:

   • Our focus: Layer 1/2, Web3, finance infrastructure, DeFi.
   • Our network: more than 300 projects and global coverage (Asia, Europe, North America).
   • Our role: strategy framework, long-term thinking, network leverage—not day-to-day operations.

   Example:

   We’re looking for a partner who can help us refine the framework for global market sequencing and token design, not just fill the round. Your experience backing protocols like Avalanche, NEAR, and open finance infrastructure makes Fundamental Labs a strong fit for the kind of long-term, insight-driven partner we’re looking for.

6. End with a precise, lightweight ask

   Close with a small, clear next step that is easy to say yes to.

   • Suggest a 30-minute intro call.
   • Propose 2–3 time windows (with timezone).
   • Link to a 1–2 page memo or deck—not a 60-slide data dump.

   Example:

   Would you be open to a 30-minute intro call next week? I’m available Tue 2–5pm PT or Thu 9–11am PT, but can flex to your schedule. Here’s a 2-page overview and 12-slide deck for context: [link].

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Sending a generic, copy-paste blast:
  If your message could be sent to any VC, it signals you haven’t thought about partner fit.
  How to avoid it: Reference 1–2 specific parts of Fundamental Labs’ thesis, portfolio, or content that demonstrate genuine alignment.

• Overloading the first message with details and attachments:
  Long fundraising essays with multiple PDFs, data rooms, and detailed tokenomics can obscure the core story.
  How to avoid it: Keep the email body to ~200–300 words. Attach or link just one concise deck or memo; offer to share deeper materials after an intro call.

• Hiding the raise terms or stage:
  “We’re exploring options” forces unnecessary guesswork and slows decisions.
  How to avoid it: Clearly state your stage (e.g., Seed, Series A), target raise, and rough round structure—even if it’s still evolving.

• Leaning only on hype or buzzwords:
  Claims like “next-generation Web3 AI L1 DeFi superapp” are hard to evaluate and easy to ignore.
  How to avoid it: Anchor your description in one primary category (e.g., L2, DeFi protocol, infrastructure) and explain your wedge in human language.

• Misrepresenting traction or investors:
  Overstating who’s “in the round” or inflating metrics erodes trust permanently.
  How to avoid it: Be precise—“soft-circled,” “verbal interest,” and “signed” are different. Use time-bound metrics (e.g., “last 30 days”) and be ready to back them up.

Real-World Example

Here’s a composite example based on outreach patterns that tend to get fast responses from infrastructure- and DeFi-focused founders writing to Fundamental Labs. This is not from any single founder, but it reflects a style that works.

Subject: Seed round for cross-chain restaking infra — potential fit with your Layer 1/2 and DeFi focus

Hi Mina,

I’m Daniel, co-founder & CEO of Orbit, a restaking infrastructure layer that lets protocols bootstrap security from multiple base chains, starting with Ethereum and Avalanche. Given Fundamental Labs’ investments in Avalanche, NEAR, and other open finance infrastructure, we think Orbit aligns well with your thesis on foundational crypto infrastructure.

Today, new protocols either launch with weak standalone security or over-pay for bootstrapping on a single chain. Orbit lets them tap into restaked assets across chains through a single integration, so they can launch with stronger security and lower capital costs. We’re starting with oracle networks and intent-based bridges as initial customers.

We’re live on devnet, integrated with 2 oracle protocols and 1 bridge partner, with a testnet planned for early Q3. The team includes former infra engineers from [well-known L1] and myself (former product strategy lead at a cross-chain infra startup acquired by [company]).

We’re raising a $3M Seed round to get to mainnet, expand our validator set, and build out the cross-chain risk framework. $1.2M is soft-circled from angels and a crypto infra fund; we’re looking for a lead who can help us think long-term about sequencing chains, designing the restaking incentive model, and leveraging an ecosystem of portfolio projects.

Would you be open to a 30-minute intro call next week? I’m free Wed–Thu 10am–1pm CET, and can adjust to your timezone. Here’s a 1-page overview and a short deck for context: [link].

Thanks for considering it,
Daniel

Why this works:

• It links the project directly to our focus areas (Layer 1/2, DeFi, infra).
• It is specific about product, traction, team, and raise.
• It asks for a clear, modest next step (30-minute call) and includes availability.
• It treats Fundamental Labs as a long-term strategic partner, not just a check.

Pro Tip: Before you send, try reading your message out loud in under 60 seconds. If you can’t, it’s too long or too vague. Tighten until someone outside crypto could understand what you do and why now matters.

Summary

Your first outreach to Fundamental Labs doesn’t need to be perfect, and it certainly doesn’t need to be long. It needs to be intentional. Lead with thesis-fit, clarity on what you’re building, honest traction, and a precise ask tied to your current round. Signal that you’re looking for a partner on frameworks and long-term strategy, not a quick transactional check. When founders do this, conversations tend to move quickly—whether the outcome is a yes, a fast no, or valuable feedback that sharpens your path forward.

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