Welcome to another episode of Funding Simplified, where I simplify the business funding process and share lessons I have learned after being involved in over $500M in debt or equity deals. In today’s episode, I wanted to talk about how to get in contact with investors.   There are many ways I recommend startup founders go about contacting investors. The key distinction is that none of the methods I suggest are what I consider “cold”. I have read about startups cold calling investors and getting lucky enough to land a meeting and maybe a few of those have ended in investments. But, that is extremely rare.   Here are just three ways I recommend on how to get in contact with investors.   Introductions from other investors   Experienced investors tend to network with other investors. One great way to get in contact with investors is to be introduced to them by a peer of theirs. Even if the investors doing the introduction has chosen to not invest in your startup, an introduction is still one of the best routes to go. It could be that your startup idea is outside their area of expertise, but not outside of the expertise of the investor you are going to be introduced to.   Introductions from other startups   By now you should know that the average startup needs to meet with a lot of investors in order to land funding. In fact, some estimates put that number at 100 investors for every one investment. Because startup founders, the good ones, network with a lot of investors they are likely able to make introductions for you to investors who might have an appetite for your idea.   Networking   Some people despise the idea of having to talk with random strangers. But as a startup founder, you should be networking with as many people as you can. If for no other reason than to share the message about what you are working on.    An even better reason for networking is to hopefully meet potential investors. I often recommend attending pitch competitions in your area or your local startup accelerator/incubator program.   For more information on how to get in contact with investors check out these free resources.