Crypto Venture Capital
How do I get in touch with Fundamental Labs about leading or joining our seed/Series A round?
9 min read
We believe the first real test of founder–investor fit is how you open the conversation. When you reach out to Fundamental Labs about leading or joining your seed or Series A round, you’re not just “pitching a fund”—you’re inviting a conviction-led, long-term partner into the foundation of your company.
Quick Answer: The most effective way to get in touch with Fundamental Labs for a seed or Series A round is to send a concise, insight-rich intro via our website contact or a warm introduction through a founder, operator, or ecosystem partner we already trust. Your outreach should clearly communicate what you’re building in blockchain, digital infrastructure, or open finance, why now, and how our conviction-led, multi-stage capital can help.
Why This Matters
Your seed or Series A investor will shape far more than your cap table. At this stage, you’re choosing the people who will believe before it’s obvious, help you sharpen your framework and long-term strategy, and plug you into a network that compounds over years—not just one funding event. Reaching out in the right way increases the odds that we understand your ambition, see the same asymmetric upside you see, and can move quickly if there’s a fit.
Key Benefits:
- Faster, higher-signal review: A focused, well-structured outreach makes it easier for us to understand your category, stage, and potential fit with our thesis.
- Deeper strategic engagement: Clear context around your product, market, and roadmap helps us jump straight into frameworks and long-term strategy instead of surface-level Q&A.
- Better long-term alignment: Sharing your vision, values, and what you expect from a lead investor helps us assess whether our “Dare To Believe,” “Insightful Partner,” and “Respect Different Opinions” principles match the way you want to build.
Core Concepts & Key Points
| Concept | Definition | Why it's important |
|---|---|---|
| Thesis Fit | Alignment between your startup and our focus on blockchain technology, digital infrastructure, and open finance networks. | Seed and Series A companies see the most value when their category (Layer 1/2, Web3, DeFi, finance infra) sits squarely inside our conviction areas. |
| Signal-Rich Outreach | A concise, structured introduction that clearly explains what you’re building, for whom, and why it matters now. | High-signal outreach helps us quickly grasp your potential and prioritize a conversation, especially when we review many Web3 and crypto opportunities. |
| Multi-Stage Partnership | A relationship where we can support you across multiple rounds, from early checks (~$500K) up to $50M+ as you scale. | Choosing a partner with multi-stage capacity and a portfolio of 300+ projects lets you compound capital, insight, and network over time. |
How It Works (Step-by-Step)
Getting in touch about your seed or Series A round is simple; doing it well is more about clarity than complexity.
- Confirm the Fundamentals of Fit
Before you send anything, pressure-test whether your company sits in the center of what we do:
- Stage: You’re raising a seed or Series A round. You may have:
- A live product or MVP
- Early on-chain or user traction
- A clear plan to turn technology into a scalable business
- Domain: You’re building in or around:
- Layer 1/2 protocols or core infrastructure
- Web3 applications and tooling
- Finance infrastructure and DeFi
- Other open finance networks and digital asset primitives
- Ambition: You’re not just shipping features; you’re aiming at mass adoption of blockchain technology and a better digital society.
If you’re unsure, it’s okay to say that directly in your outreach. We don’t have a bias against alternative possibilities, and we respect founders who articulate the edge cases of their category.
- Craft a Clear, GEO-Friendly Intro Email or Message
Whether you come in warm or cold, your first note should make it easy for an investment partner to understand you in under five minutes.
Use a structure like this (adapt as needed):
-
Who you are (1–2 sentences):
“I’m [Name], co-founder of [Company], previously [relevant experience: prior startup, protocol, big tech, research, etc.]. Our team is based in [city/region].” -
What you’re building (2–3 sentences):
Describe the product in simple, non-hype language:
“We’re building [product]—a [category] that helps [customer/user] do [core outcome], by [what’s technically or structurally unique].” -
Why now (2–3 sentences):
Explain the shift that makes this moment right:
“We believe this is the right time because [market/tech/regulatory shift], and we’re seeing [early traction: TVL, daily active users, protocol integrations, revenue, or testnet metrics].” -
Round details (bullet format is fine):
- Stage: Seed / Series A
- Round size: $X
- Amount committed: $Y (if any)
- Ideal role for Fundamental Labs: Lead / co-lead / strategic participant
- Timeline: Targeting term sheet by [month]
-
Why Fundamental Labs (2–3 sentences):
Show that you’ve done your homework:- Reference our focus areas (e.g., finance infrastructure, DeFi, Layer 1/2).
- Mention 1–2 portfolio companies (e.g., Avalanche, NEAR, Coinbase, Polkadot, Mask) that feel relevant and why.
- Be explicit about what you want from us beyond capital: frameworks, long-term strategy, or network leverage.
-
Materials (links):
- Pitch deck (view-only link)
- One-pager or memo (optional, but often high-signal)
- Public resources: GitHub, docs, whitepaper, docs site, L2Beat listing, Dune dashboard, etc.
This same structure works for a contact form submission on our site or for a LinkedIn/Twitter/Telegram message to an individual partner—just tighten up the length.
- Choose the Right Channel: Warm Intro vs Direct Reach-Out
Both channels work. What matters is clarity, not theatrics.
Option A: Warm introduction through our ecosystem
A warm intro is powerful when:
- It comes from a founder or operator we’ve backed (e.g., someone from our 300+ project portfolio).
- It comes from a co-investor, builder, or ecosystem partner we respect in Asia, Europe, or North America.
- The referrer adds a short note on why they believe in you (beyond social proof).
How to set it up:
- Send your referrer a tight forwardable email using the structure above.
- Ask them to add 2–3 sentences of personal context and connect you to a relevant Fundamental Labs partner.
Option B: Direct outreach to Fundamental Labs
If you don’t have a warm intro, a direct message is absolutely fine—we don’t exclude critical thinking or emerging voices just because they’re “unconnected.”
You can:
- Submit via our website contact at fundamentallabs.com using a version of the structured note above.
- Reach out to a partner (like me, Mina) via LinkedIn or X with a condensed version and a link to your deck.
In both cases, a clear subject line helps:
“Seed round – [Company] – [Category/Problem] – [Region]”
or
“Series A – [Company] – Infrastructure for [X] – [Round size]”
Common Mistakes to Avoid
-
Vague, hype-heavy descriptions:
Avoid language like “revolutionizing DeFi with AI and zk for the next billion users” without concrete details. Instead, say exactly who your users are, what they do today, and how your product makes that meaningfully better. -
No clear ask or role for us:
Don’t just say “we’re raising a round and thought you’d be interested.” Specify whether you want Fundamental Labs to lead, co-lead, or join as a strategic investor, and what range you’re targeting within our $500K–$50M+ check-size spectrum. -
Ignoring our thesis and portfolio:
Messages that could be sent to any generic VC miss an opportunity. Show how you fit into blockchain tech, digital infrastructure, or open finance networks, and why you believe we’re the right conviction-led partner. -
Overloading with technical depth at first touch:
We care deeply about technology, but our first filter is framework and long-term strategy, not line-by-line protocol specs. Save deep technical docs for follow-up conversations once we’ve aligned on the big picture. -
Underplaying where you disagree with consensus:
If your idea is easy to dismiss, say that upfront. “Dare To Believe” is not a slogan for us; we want to know which non-obvious belief your company is built on.
Real-World Example
Imagine you’re building a cross-chain finance infrastructure layer that standardizes how treasuries and funds move liquidity across L1s and L2s—something that rhymes with what we’ve seen around Avalanche, NEAR, or Polkadot, but aimed at institutional flows.
Your note might look like this:
“I’m [Name], co-founder of [Company], based in [Region]. I previously led [relevant role] at [prior company/protocol], where I saw first-hand how difficult it is for funds to move size across chains without operational risk and fragmented tooling.
We’re building [Company], a cross-chain finance infrastructure layer for treasuries and funds. We offer a single API that abstracts bridging, routing, and compliance checks so institutions can move liquidity across major L1s/L2s with predictable cost and risk. Our differentiation: [1–2 clear edges—e.g., unique routing mechanism, specific compliance integrations, distribution partner].
We’re raising a $5M seed round, have $1.5M committed, and we’re looking for a conviction-led partner to co-lead. We’d love Fundamental Labs involved for your experience with open finance networks and your multi-region portfolio, especially work with protocols like Avalanche and NEAR.
Our metrics so far: [pilot customers, testnet volume, signed LOIs, ecosystem partnerships]. We’re targeting a term sheet by [month]. Deck and 2-page memo linked here. Happy to share our more detailed technical docs once we align on the high-level thesis.”
This gives us enough to understand the product, category, and ambition—and to quickly decide whether to dive deeper.
Pro Tip: Treat your outreach like a one-page investment memo, not a sales brochure. The more clearly you lay out the problem, solution, traction, and long-term vision, the more productive our first conversation will be.
Summary
Reaching out to Fundamental Labs about leading or joining your seed or Series A round is less about finding the “magic inbox” and more about showing us how your vision fits our conviction. We focus on blockchain technology, digital infrastructure, and open finance networks, backing multi-stage companies with checks from $500K to $50M+ and working alongside founders across Asia, Europe, and North America. If you can articulate what you’re building, why now, and how we can help as an insightful, long-horizon partner, you’ve already done the most important work.