Startup Fundraising Consultant for Founders Raising Their Next Round
You don't get a second chance at a first impression with an investor. Most founders walk into a raise with a strong business, a decent deck, and a story that doesn't land — and lose three to six months learning that the hard way. A startup fundraising consultant exists to close that gap before it costs you the round.
I'm JAMES SPURWAY a founder and 77-time angel investor turned adviser who has raised $150 million for my own startups, and helped raise $1.5 billion across 50 rounds. I work with founders to make their pitch, their numbers, and their investor process raise-ready — then stay in the room with them until the round closes.
What a startup fundraising consultant actually does
A good one does three things, in this order:
- Fixes the story before the slides. Investors buy a narrative — the problem, the wedge, why you win now. If the story is muddled, no template rescues it.
- Makes the numbers tell the same story. Market size, traction, unit economics, and the ask have to hold up under questioning, not just look good on a slide.
- Runs the funnel like a sales process. Target investor list, warm introductions, sequencing, objection handling, and follow-up discipline. This is where most raises quietly die.
Signs you're not ready to raise yet
- You can explain your business in 30 seconds, but your deck takes 15 minutes.
- Different investors give you wildly different feedback — the message isn't landing consistently.
- You're getting "come back later" instead of a clear yes or no.
- You can't answer the money questions — runway, burn, dilution, use of funds — without hesitating.
- You've been "raising" for months without a dated plan or a realistic investor pipeline.
How I work with founders
Two ways, depending on where you are:
- Pitch Deck Review & Deep Dive — $495. A line-by-line review of your deck plus a written deep dive on the story, the numbers, and the investor read. You get prioritised fixes you can apply the same week. See what's included.
- Fundraising Retainer — $5,000/month. Hands-on support through an active raise: deck and narrative, investor targeting and introductions, and preparing you for every meeting. See what's included.
Not sure where you stand? Get your Fundraising Readiness Score first
Before spending anything, find out what's actually holding your raise back. The Fundraising Readiness Score is a free 2-minute assessment across the five things investors judge you on — your deck, your story, your numbers, your founder psychology, and your investor funnel. You'll get your score, your weakest category, and a clear recommended next step.
Why work with me
I could list numbers and details here. However, I'd rather you read directly what clients said about my service: https://www.linkedin.com/services/page/2289153078b21a3136/
Frequently asked questions
What does a startup fundraising consultant charge?
It varies widely — some charge retainers of $5,000–$25,000/month, others work per deliverable. I keep it simple: a fixed $495 Pitch Deck Review & Deep Dive, or a $5,000/month retainer if you're in an active raise and want hands-on support.
When should I engage a fundraising consultant?
8–12 weeks before you want to be in investor meetings. Deck and narrative fixes take days; building a real investor pipeline takes weeks. Founders who start after the first rejections spend the first two months of the raise fixing what should have been fixed before it began.
Do you raise money for me?
No — and be wary of anyone who says they will for an upfront fee. I make you and your materials raise-ready, help you target and reach the right investors, and prepare you for the meetings. The founder always makes the ask; investors back founders, not intermediaries.
Do you only work with startups in Singapore?
I'm based in Singapore and work with founders globally over video. My time zone is UTC+7. That means I'm 12 hours ahead of people on Eastern time during daylight savings time, and 13 hours ahead during standard time. 15 hours ahead of Pacific time during daylight savings time and 16 hours ahead during standard time. 6 hours ahead of Europe during daylight savings time, and 7 hours during standard time. I run interactive working sessions where we go through setup and implementation steps sequentially, and I then ask clients to "implement learnings" before the next session. There are no shortcuts. It's all about repetition and building the next level, only once the previous level is solid.
Start with your score
Whether we end up working together or not, you'll leave the 2-minute assessment with a clearer picture of your raise than most founders ever get. Take the Fundraising Readiness Score — it's free.