Investor Documents: What Founders Need to Prepare Before a Raise

"Investor documents" can mean three different things: what you send to pitch, what investors review in diligence, and what you sign at closing. Founders often prepare the first and get caught off guard by the other two. Here is what to prepare in each group.

Group 1: Pitch materials

These are what investors see first.

• Pitch deck. Your story in 10 to 15 slides.
• Teaser or summary. A short paragraph or one-pager for introductions.
• Investor FAQ. Answers to the questions every investor asks: market size, competition, use of funds, round terms.
• Demo. A short product video or live demo link.
• Financial snapshot. Key metrics and high-level financials.

How to share them: through one link, not five attachments. A DocChief sharing link can hold your deck, FAQ, and demo together, add your branding and a calendar booking button, and include an AI assistant that answers investor questions. You see who opened it, which documents they reviewed, and how long they spent.

Group 2: Diligence documents

These are what investors and their counsel review once they are serious. The main categories:

• Corporate: certificate of incorporation, bylaws, board and stockholder consents
• Equity: cap table, stock purchase agreements, option plan and grants, SAFEs and notes, 83(b) elections
• Financial: financial statements, model, tax filings
• IP: assignment agreements, patents, trademarks
• Commercial: material customer and vendor contracts
• Team: employment, contractor, and advisor agreements

Our tech startup data room checklist lists everything in detail.

How to prepare them: gather them early and check that they are consistent. DocChief's Fundraising Readiness Health Check reviews your records for missing documents, inconsistencies, and equity or governance gaps before investors start diligence.

Group 3: Deal documents

These are what you sign. They depend on the instrument:

• SAFE round: the SAFE itself, and possibly a side letter, for example on pro rata or information rights.
• Convertible note round: note purchase agreement and the notes.
• Priced round: term sheet, stock purchase agreement, amended certificate of incorporation, investor rights agreement, voting agreement, and ROFR and co-sale agreement. Many US venture rounds use the NVCA model documents as a starting point.

Your lawyer will draft or review these. After closing, add the signed versions to your records immediately and update your cap table.

Which investor documents to send, and when

Stage of conversation	What to share
Introduction	Teaser or summary
First meeting requested	Pitch deck, FAQ
After first meeting	Updated deck, demo, financial snapshot
Serious interest	Financial model, key metrics, selected corporate documents
Term sheet	Full diligence data room
Closing	Deal documents for signature

For more detail, see What to Send Investors at Each Stage.

Keep investor documents current

Decks and financials change during a raise. If investors have downloaded old versions, they may be working from outdated numbers. DocChief lets you update documents without changing the link, so every investor sees the current version.

Frequently asked questions

What documents do investors ask for?

First pitch materials, then diligence documents covering corporate, equity, financial, IP, commercial, and team records.

What legal documents does a startup need before raising?

Formation documents, bylaws, board consents, founder stock agreements, 83(b) elections, IP assignments, and an accurate cap table.

What is an investor FAQ document?

A short document answering the questions investors ask most. Including it with your deck saves time in meetings.

Who prepares the deal documents?

Usually the company's counsel or the lead investor's counsel, depending on the round. Both sides review them.

Get your investor documents ready

Start free with DocChief to organize your records, check for gaps, and share your pitch materials through one trackable link.