Pre-Seed Fundraising Without a Product: Investor Perspectives and Founder Advice

A panel of three investors discusses what it takes to raise a pre-seed round when a founder has no finished product, and how investor expectations have shifted by 2026 as AI makes prototyping easier. The conversation covers founder evaluation, fundraising communication, red flags, warm introductions, and investor-founder fit, followed by audience questions. It provides practical context for founders preparing an early-stage raise.

■ AI, Prototypes, and Pre-Seed Expectations
- Building an MVP or demo and using customer conversations instead of traction
- First checks without product or revenue

■ Founder Evaluation, Red Flags, and Communication
- Domain expertise, unique insight, founder-market fit, and storytelling
- Red flags such as generic outreach, weak market knowledge, and dislike of fundraising

■ Investor-Founder Fit and Fundraising Mindset
- Fundraising as relationship-building, warm introductions, and network access
- Long-term alignment, investor accessibility, and audience Q&A on geography, growth, idea selection, competition, and valuation

The session is aimed at first-time and pre-seed founders, as well as early-stage investors seeking a clearer view of pre-product evaluation. Viewers can use it to refine their fundraising narrative, spot potential gaps, and plan outreach before a raise.