The Fundraising Advantage Most Startups Skip: Marketing That Actually Works

Raising capital might not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of brand marketing, but if you’re building an early-stage company, it should be right near the top.

At Three Horizons, we work almost exclusively with Seed and Series A companies. We’re a Vancouver-based marketing partner (not agency in the traditional sense) built to work alongside founders and early-stage teams, helping them punch above their weight with brand, positioning, and fundraising strategy.

Over the past few years, we’ve worked with companies across the fundraising spectrum: launching, gearing up for Seed or Series A funding rounds, or angling for an exit. Through it all, one thing has stood out: most startups underinvest in marketing at the exact moment it matters most.

This article isn’t about “authentic storytelling” or “finding your voice.” It’s about what actually works: practical, foundational marketing moves that make your company easier to understand, easier to believe in, and easier to fund.

Let’s get to it.

Fundraising Is a Narrative Game (Even If You Think It’s About the Numbers)

We’ve reviewed many decks and investor memos. The best ones aren’t the flashiest or most “designed.” They’re the clearest.

The best decks explain, in real words, what the company does, who it’s for, why it matters right now, and what success could look like. Sometimes they’re five slides. Sometimes 40. But the common thread is clarity.

Even if you’ve got killer tech or that 10x innovation, you still need to explain it well enough for someone outside your immediate circle to get excited. And that’s where brand and marketing come in.

The Marketing That Helps You Raise

Here are five things we recommend (and help our clients do) to better align marketing with fundraising.

1. Build a strategic narrative before you build a deck

This should be your starting point. You need a clear narrative before you get anywhere near pitch design.

Define:

• Your vision (what the world looks like if you win)
• Your mission (how you’re making progress toward that vision)
• Your boilerplate (the 4–6 sentence “About Us” paragraph for press, decks, memos)

Start with the story, then build everything else around it. As a gut-test for this, once you have something, start to circulate it to media/journalists who are you in your industry – does it resonate at all? Generating earned media is one of the best ways to test if the messaging is actually good or not.

2. Make your positioning impossible to ignore

Your pitch deck isn’t the place for vague language or ChatGPT buzzwords. Investors need to quickly understand:

• What you do
• Why it matters
• Who it’s for

If you have customers, talk to them. Find out what they value and how they describe it. No customers yet? Talk to the ones you hope to win. Set up Zoom calls. Run focus groups. Write down the exact words they use.

Positioning isn’t just copywriting – it’s customer research in disguise.

3. Market across the Three Horizons

Too many companies focus only on Horizon 2 (more on that below): the go-to-market plans, short-term traction, and figuring out how the next year plays out.

But investors need to see the whole picture:

• Horizon 1 (now): What builds trust and credibility today – a strong website, consistent press, early proof points. Pitch media early. Stay visible. Brand won’t close your round on its own, but it can help shorten the investment cycle and improve your terms.
• Horizon 2 (1–2 years): Your growth plan. What you’ll do with the capital, and how it moves you forward.
• Horizon 3 (5+ years): The bold vision. What’s the big bet? Not every company has one, but if you’re raising outside capital, you probably need it.

The best fundraising stories connect all three.

4. Refine your deck like it’s your homepage

Most decks get passed around way more than founders think – to potential investors, partners, even future employees. It should be tight, clear, and well-positioned.

Use a proven narrative arc:

• Name the enemy: Not just a competitor. Frame the problem you’re taking on.
• Why now: Identify 2–3 macro tailwinds pushing your company/technology/offering forward.
• Tease the promised land: Connect it to your vision.
• Surface macro challenges: What’s standing in the way, and why you’re uniquely positioned to break through.
• Show traction and social proof: Case studies, press, testimonials, even (and especially) if revenue isn’t there yet

Cut the fluff. Ditch the jargon. And make sure your actual positioning shows up.

And don’t forget – there’s the deck you use to raise, and the one you use after you raise. They’re not the same.

5. Don’t sleep on PR

We’ve seen well-placed PR help close rounds, even when it didn’t move the needle on customer acquisition. Press can establish credibility in a way that few other things can.

We’ve seen companies land new investors after niche podcast interviews. After a Fast Company mention. Build your own target list – be consistent (at least 1-2x per month) and realistic (the Times isn’t going to care). Pitch stories worth pitching.

A great resource on starting to generate your own press and PR is Emilie Gerber’s PR playbook on Lenny’s Newsletter – we’re fully aligned on her approach. A few of her top points worth stealing:

• Don’t write a novel. If your media pitch is more than three sentences, it’s too long.
• Tailor your pitch to each outlet (TechCrunch wants different things than Business Insider or Axios).
• Don’t overreach. “First-ever” claims are a turnoff. 
• The best PR doesn’t always move sales, but it does build credibility.
• Go beyond mainstream: podcasts, Substacks, industry-specific awards, niche newsletters. They often have more engaged audiences (investors).

Why It’s Worth It

If you’re raising right now, you know the bar is higher. Valuations are tighter. Investors are cautious. That’s exactly why marketing matters more than ever. Done right, it’s not a cost –it’s leverage.

You don’t need to be flashy. You just need to be clear, credible, and confident in your story. And consistent in how it is shared with the world.

And yes, marketing can help you do all of that.

Jeff Angus is the founder of Three Horizons Group, a Vancouver-based marketing agency that builds award-winning, category-leading brands and provides full-service marketing leadership, communications and brand strategy to early-stage tech companies. Their work has been featured in Fast Company, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, WIRED and more.