Reflecting on my journey supporting fundraising efforts for PE/VC and capital advisory firms, I’m reminded just how much can change in two years. When you start out, not quite sure what you’re doing and, little by little, become someone who truly makes a difference for your clients.
I began my first fundraising client engagement with honest questions: How do I build the right outreach strategy? Who do I contact? What is the magic formula for getting a reply (let alone a meeting)? Back then, I did the only thing I could—work hard. I reached out to 800 firms, received just under 5% response, but didn’t get disheartened by the lack of meetings. There was still so much that mattered: maintaining the client’s CRM, planning weekly partner agendas, managing deal pipelines, and screening investment targets. All these activities shaped my practical knowledge and resilience.
As I spent more time working with various fundraising clients, I learned to iterate and innovate, experimenting with tailored outreach strategies, honing the craft of persuasive emails, reviewing NDAs, preparing teasers, pitch decks, and CIMs. Globally, successful fundraising rounds for private equity and venture capital have acceptance rates as low as 1-5% from cold outreach, so progress is a game of both patience and precision.
Fast forward to today: I am supporting a client with not one, but two mandates—one debt, and the other a debt/equity mix. I was nervous, not going to lie, but started by focusing on getting our collaterals right, collaborating closely so that every document had the client’s full confidence. Once we agreed on an action plan, the outreach began. Within a couple of weeks and 400 investor contacts, we secured above a 15% positive response rate, booked a dozen meetings, and started signing NDAs with interested parties—well ahead of typical market benchmarks. According to industry reports, the average VC fundraising period can take 12-18 months, so every early win truly matters.
None of this would be possible without the constant trust and support of my incredible clients and the stellar teams I work with at Magistral Consulting. Thank you for the encouragement and opportunities to learn and contribute. Here’s to more growth and successful partnerships ahead!
About Magistral Consulting
Magistral Consulting has helped multiple funds and companies in outsourcing operations activities. It has service offerings for Private Equity, Venture Capital, Family Offices, Investment Banks, Asset Managers, Hedge Funds, Financial Consultants, Real Estate, REITs, RE funds, Corporates, and Portfolio companies. Its functional expertise is around Deal origination, Deal Execution, Due Diligence, Financial Modelling, Portfolio Management, and Equity Research
For setting up an appointment with a Magistral representative visit www.magistralconsulting.com/contact
About the Author
Akansha is a Stanford Seed alum with an MBA (Finance & Operations) and B.Com (Hons). She delivers business and financial research for PE/VC and investment banking clients. Experience spans fundraising, M&A support, deal sourcing, consolidation accounting, supply chain analysis, and CRM-led outreach. Known for meticulous detail and fast learning, she turns analysis into investor-ready decisions.