Transaction Readiness Checklist for Startups Preparing for an Exit or Acquisition
Preparing for an exit or acquisition? Use this startup transaction readiness checklist to organize ownership, financials, buyer diligence, and closing.
The Warm Intro A MatchPlay Blog
Explore MatchPlay’s latest blogs on venture capital, startup fundraising, founder stories, investor insights, and the networks shaping high-growth companies.
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Venture Capital SPV: What It Is, How It Works, and When VCs Should Use One
What a venture capital SPV is, how it works, and when VCs should use one, plus how SPV fees, carry, legal structure, filings, and taxes work.
Startup Due Diligence Red Flags to Fix Before Your Seed Round
The startup due diligence red flags to fix before your seed round: the discrepancies, unsupported claims, and unresolved risks that make investors pause.
Seed Round Data Room Checklist and What to Share at Each Stage
A seed round data room checklist: which documents investors need and what to share at each stage of review, from the first conversation to closing.
Investment Readiness Assessment to Score Your Startup Before Approaching Investors
Score your startup before approaching investors. A structured readiness assessment to find weak assumptions, missing records, and preparation gaps.
Investment Readiness Checklist for Startups Raising a Seed Round
An investment readiness checklist for startups raising a seed round: the evidence investors expect, area by area, and what the round needs to fund.
How to Set Up an SPV for a Venture Capital Investment: A Step-by-Step Guide
A step-by-step guide to setting up an SPV for a venture capital investment, for deals that don't fit inside a fund, from structure to closing and beyond.
How to Get Investor Introductions Without a Warm Intro
No warm network? How first-time, solo, and non-hub founders can get investor introductions and reach the right investors without relying on a warm intro.
Pre-Seed vs Seed Funding: What Founders Need Before Talking to Investors
Pre-seed vs seed funding: what each stage means, what investors expect at each, and the story, proof, and ask to have ready before talking to investors.
MATCH HOUSE Boston: Quick Recap
A recap of MATCH HOUSE Boston, where founders, investors, operators, and executives met in one room on May 28 during Boston Tech Week.
Why You’re Not Getting Investor Replies (Even With a Good Startup)
Why founders don't get investor replies even with a good startup, and what to change in your investor list, outreach, and follow-up to start hearing back.
How to Raise Startup Funding Without an Accelerator (Step-by-Step Guide)
Yes, you can raise startup funding without an accelerator. A step-by-step guide to raising capital directly, without giving away equity to a program.
Startup Accelerator Alternatives: Better Ways to Raise Funding in 2026
Startup accelerator alternatives for 2026: faster ways to get investor access, better-fit introductions, and funding without the accelerator trade-offs.
How to Find Investors for My Startup
A practical, founder-first guide to finding the right investors for your startup, without wasting months on cold outreach to funds outside your stage.
Startup Data Room Guide for Fundraising
A startup data room guide for fundraising: what a data room is, why investors rely on it, and the complete checklist to prepare before you raise.
The Founder’s Fundraising Roadmap: From Idea to VC Investment
The founder's fundraising roadmap from idea to VC investment: the seven stages of startup fundraising and what investors expect from you at each one.
The Ultimate Pre-Seed Due Diligence Checklist (Downloadable)
A downloadable pre-seed due diligence checklist, in PDF and Excel, to get your startup's records data-room ready before a VC asks to see them.
Be ready before
the investor asks
Start with diligence and build the financing process from there.