For founders
Help us understand what you are building, who needs it and what comes next.
A clear introduction connects the technology to a customer problem and a practical development plan. This guide sets out the information useful for that conversation.
Prepare your introduction- Investment stage
- Seed to Series B
- Geographic scope
- Global
Our interests span software, security, communications, computing, robotics, industrial systems and energy technology.
Customer and business
Start with the work your customer needs to do. Explain the problem, the alternatives and why the customer would choose your product.
- The customer problem
- Identify who experiences the problem, who uses the product and who approves a purchase. Describe how that work is handled today and what changing to your product involves.
- Commercial progress
- Distinguish customer conversations, trials, paid deployments and repeat purchases. For revenue, usage or other measures, state the period covered and how each figure is defined.
Product and evidence
Show what exists today and explain the engineering behind it. A useful demonstration also makes its conditions and limitations clear.
- The product today
- Describe what has been built, the alternatives it is compared with and the technical choices behind it. Separate measured results from development goals.
- Evidence and limits
- Include a demonstration, test results or customer experience where available. Explain the conditions, what remains untested and any dependencies on suppliers or other systems.
Team and development
Set out who will do the work, what the next stage requires and how the proposed funding supports it.
- The founding team
- Introduce the founders, their relevant experience and responsibilities. Identify the capabilities already in the company and the roles you need to add.
- The development plan
- Describe the next technical and commercial milestones. Include engineering risks, customer commitments, supplier dependencies and the time needed to address them.
- The funding requirement
- Explain the proposed round and use of funds, including hiring, development and delivery costs. Show how the plan changes if sales or development take longer than expected.
Before you write
An introduction should make the opportunity understandable at its current stage.
What if customer evidence is still early?
Describe what you have learned through interviews, testing and trials, and what still needs to be established. A company before commercial launch will have different evidence from one already serving paying customers.
What information should I share initially?
Provide a concise account of the customer, product, team, progress and funding requirement. Include your role and contact details. Share only material appropriate for an initial conversation.
Contact CIR Ventures
Have your company website and a pitch deck link ready. The enquiry form asks for your current stage and a short introduction.