How to Get a Warm Intro to an Investor Without a Network

What actually makes an intro "warm"

A warm intro is not just a forwarded email. It works because a third person is putting a little of their credibility behind you. Three things make it warm:

•The connector knows both sides. Not well, necessarily, but enough that the investor will open their message.

•The connector has a reason. "I think this fits your thesis" lands better than "Someone asked me to send this."

•The investor can say no easily. The best intros ask the investor first, before sharing anyone's details. This is called a double opt-in: both people agree before they're connected.

Notice what's missing from that list: a long relationship history. A former colleague, a founder you helped once, or an angel you met at a meetup can all be good connectors.

Step 1: Map the people two steps away

You probably don't know investors directly. But you very likely know people who do. Start with a simple list:

•Founders a stage or two ahead of you. Anyone who has raised a round has an investor list, and most remember what it felt like to have none.

•Angels who already back your sector. Many publish their portfolio. If they've backed a company you know, that company's founder can introduce you.

•Former colleagues and managers. People who've moved into investing, or who now work at funded startups, often know the investors around them.

•Your customers or early users. Especially in B2B, a happy customer is a credible voice.

•Advisors, accelerator alumni, and community organisers. Their job, in part, is connecting people.

For each investor you want to meet, look at who has worked with them: their portfolio founders, their co-investors, their former colleagues. Then check whether anyone on your list knows any of those people. You're looking for one bridge, not ten.

Step 2: Pick the right investor before you pick the connector

A warm intro to the wrong investor wastes a favour. Before you ask anyone, check that the investor actually fits:

•Stage: Do they write pre-seed or seed cheques, or only later rounds?

•Sector: Have they backed companies like yours, or written publicly about the space?

•Cheque size: Does your round fit their usual range?

•Geography: Do they invest in companies based where you are?

If you can't answer these from public sources (their website, portfolio, interviews, or posts), ask the connector. A good connector will tell you honestly if it isn't a fit, which saves everyone time.

Step 3: Write a forwardable blurb

This is the single most useful thing you can do. A connector is far more likely to help if you make it effortless. Write a short email they can forward without editing:

Subject: Intro: [Your company] — [one-line description]

Hi [Connector],

Would you be open to introducing me to [Investor]? I think we fit their focus on [their thesis area].

[Company] helps [who] [do what]. We [one concrete proof point: users, revenue, pilot, or a key hire].

We're raising [round] to [what the money unlocks].

Happy for you to forward this as is. And no worries at all if it's not a fit.

Keep it under 120 words. Lead with why the investor would care, not your life story. Only include proof points you can back up.

Step 4: Ask the connector, not the investor

Send the blurb to the connector first, with a short personal note. Give them an easy way out ("totally fine if you'd rather not"). That makes it more likely they'll say yes, and it protects the relationship if they say no.

When a connector agrees, ask them to check with the investor before sharing your details. It feels slower, but investors respond better to intros they've agreed to receive, and it protects the connector's reputation too.

Step 5: Follow up like a professional

•Thank the connector whatever happens, and tell them the outcome.

•If the investor replies, respond quickly and suggest two or three specific times.

•If they pass, ask (once, politely) whether they know someone who might be a better fit. A thoughtful no often comes with a better intro.

•Keep a simple tracker of who introduced you to whom and when. You'll want to update those people when you close the round.

When a matched intro beats a cold DM

Sometimes there's no bridge on your list, or the people who could help are hard to ask. That's where cold outreach usually starts, and where many founders get stuck.

There is a middle path: a matched, double opt-in introduction. Instead of messaging a stranger, you describe what you're building and who you need. An investor who fits sees why you might be worth meeting, and you're only introduced if you both say yes. Nobody receives an unsolicited pitch, and nobody's reputation is spent on a long shot.

That's how Cleya works. It learns your stage, sector, and goal, then proposes a few investors at a time, each with the reason it's a fit. The intro is made only when both sides opt in. For more on the etiquette of introductions, see our founder's guide to warm investor intros and our seed fundraising guide.

The short version

You don't need a big network to get a warm intro. You need one bridge, a clear reason, and an ask that's easy to accept. Map the people two steps away, choose investors who genuinely fit, write a blurb that can be forwarded as is, and let both sides say yes before anyone is connected.

Ready to meet investors who fit what you're building? Apply to join Cleya. We review every application.