Fundraising Agents

---
name: fundraising-agents
description: Use fundraising agents, scouts, syndicates, and accelerators as warm-intro channels — and vet them so you don't get burned or hurt your raise. Use when a founder says "should I use an FA / placement agent", "success-fee fundraising", "how do I find a scout / syndicate", "should I join an accelerator to raise", "找 FA / 融资顾问 / 后付费募资", or has run out of their own warm intros and wants network-bringing channels. Honest on when these help vs hurt, fees, and red flags.
---

# Fundraising agents, scouts & syndicates (network-bringing paths)

When you've exhausted your own warm intros, the next lever is people/channels that
bring **their** network: fundraising agents (FAs / placement agents), VC scouts,
angel syndicates, and accelerators. Some are gold; some are predatory or actively
harm your raise. This skill helps you use the right ones and vet the rest.

Read `shared/references/outreach-ethics.md` first. The honest line: a good
channel opens real doors; a bad one costs money, signals weakness, or is a scam.

## The options (and where each fits)

| Channel | What it is | Fit | Signal to VCs |
|---|---|---|---|
| **VC scout** | someone with a scout check + network, sourcing for a fund | great at pre-seed/seed | positive (a fund's person likes you) |
| **Angel syndicate** | a lead + backers who co-invest and vouch | strong early; brings a crowd | positive |
| **Accelerator** | program + demo day + intro machine (YC, Techstars, sector/regional) | excellent warm-intro engine + credibility | positive |
| **Operator angel** | an operator who invests + intros peers | fast, warm, high-trust | positive |
| **FA / placement agent** | raises for you, usually % success fee (± retainer) | **use with care** — see below | **often NEGATIVE at pre-seed** |

## The honest truth about FAs at early stage
- **Many US VCs read "pre-seed founder using a broker" as a negative signal** — it
  suggests you can't get your own warm intros. At pre-seed/seed, prefer scouts,
  syndicates, accelerators, and direct warm paths.
- **Pure success-fee-only FAs at pre-seed skew low-quality** (spray-and-pray to
  their list, which can burn investors on you). Reputable placement agents
  usually work later stage / larger rounds and are selective.
- **FAs make more sense**: larger rounds, later stage, a specific market you can't
  reach (e.g., a foreign founder needing US investors — where a *credible,
  connected* agent genuinely bridges the gap).
- **Cross-border / China note**: FA (融资顾问) is more normal and expected in
  China early-stage than in the US. If you're raising USD from US investors,
  weigh the US signal; if raising RMB, an FA is more accepted.

## How to vet any of them (don't get burned)
🚩 **Walk away** if:
- **Upfront fees with vague deliverables**, or big retainer + no track record.
- **"Guaranteed" to raise / guaranteed intros** — no one can guarantee it.
- Won't share **references** (founders they've actually placed) or their **actual
  investor relationships**.
- **Spray-and-pray** approach — they'll blast your deck to a list, burning your
  name with investors.
- Asks for **equity/fees far above market**, or exclusivity with no performance.

✅ **Good signs**:
- **Real, warm, relevant relationships** (they can name the specific investors
  they'd introduce and why you fit).
- **Selective** — they only take companies they believe in.
- **Transparent, market fee structure**; success-weighted; references you can call.
- Adds credibility/signal, doesn't subtract it.

## Fees (know the market, don't overpay)
- Placement agents commonly take a **success fee (a % of the raise)**, sometimes
  + a retainer; scouts/syndicates take **carry** (a share of upside), not cash from
  you. Get 2–3 comparisons; a legit party will explain the structure plainly.
  (Not legal/financial advice — have material terms reviewed.)

## How to run it
1. **Prefer the positive-signal channels first**: scouts, syndicates,
   accelerators, operator angels. Find them via `warm-path-finder` and your
   `investor-research` on funds (many list their scouts/programs).
2. **Consider an FA only** if the fit is right (stage/size/market gap) and it
   passes the vetting above.
3. **Vet hard**: references, real relationships, fees, selectivity.
4. **Hand qualified intros to `warm-intro`** for the ask; track in
   `pipeline-tracker`.

## Output
- A ranked shortlist of network-bringing channels that fit this founder's stage /
  geography / gap (positive-signal ones first).
- For any FA under consideration: a vetting verdict (red flags? references? fee
  sanity?) and a go/no-go.
- The honest call on whether an FA helps or hurts *this* raise's signal.

## Bilingual / 中文
中文/跨境要点:**优先 scout / 天使 syndicate / 加速器 / 操盘手天使**(信号为正、自带
网络);**FA(融资顾问)在美元募资里可能是负信号**(VC 觉得你自己搞不到暖介绍),
纯后付费早期 FA 多为群发型、会烧你在投资人处的名声。**FA 更适合**:较大轮次、后期、
或你确实够不到的市场(如中国创始人融美元、需要一个真有关系的中介搭桥)。筛选看红旗:
预付费+模糊交付、"保证融到"、不给案例/关系、群发打法、费率离谱——占一条就走。

## Refuse / push back when
- Asked to engage an FA showing clear red flags (upfront fee + no references +
  "guaranteed") → refuse and explain the risk; it costs money and can burn your
  name with investors.
- Asked to prioritize FAs over warm/scout/accelerator paths at pre-seed → flag the
  negative signal; exhaust the positive-signal channels first.