How we work
Five steps, in order. We tell you at step two whether we can genuinely help — and say so plainly if we can't.
Discovery, assessment, positioning, targeting, introduction. The second step is a genuine gate: if a raise is not fundable in its current form, or we lack real coverage in the investor universe you need, we say so before an engagement starts.
Ready to talk about your raise? We'll tell you quickly whether we can help.
Get in touchDiscovery
We learn the strategy, the terms, the track record, the raise size and the timeline. We also learn what you have already tried and where it stalled — which is usually the most informative part of the conversation. A manager who has had twenty meetings and no commitments has a different problem from one who cannot get a meeting at all, and the two need opposite responses.
Assessment
We decide whether we can actually help. Two things can stop an engagement here: the raise is not fundable as constructed, or we do not have genuine relationships in the investor universe you need. In either case we say so, and we say why. If the issue is fixable we will tell you what we would want to see before revisiting.
Positioning
We refine the narrative and review materials against what allocators in your target segment expect to see — deck, tear sheet, DDQ responses, track record presentation, data room structure. We also work through the objections a sophisticated allocator will raise, so you answer them deliberately rather than improvising in a live meeting. This step is short for managers who arrive well-prepared and longer for those who do not.
Targeting
We build a specific, named list of investors matched on mandate, ticket size, stage preference, geography and current deployment activity — then agree that list with you before any outreach begins. Investors you already know come off it. There is no value in reintroducing you to someone already in your CRM.
Introduction and follow-through
We make warm, contextualised introductions to named individuals, support scheduling, and stay engaged through follow-up and diligence. You get candid feedback on where each conversation actually stands — allocators are polite in meetings and honest afterwards, and we tell you which one you heard. Once introduced, the relationship belongs to you.
What we need from you
The engagement moves at the speed of your materials. Before outreach begins, expect to have:
- A pitch deck — strategy, team, track record, terms, use of proceeds, and a clear articulation of why this and why now.
- A verifiable track record — audited or administrator-verified where it exists; attributable prior-seat performance if you are a first-time fund.
- Fund or offering terms — structure, fees, minimum commitment, liquidity or hold period, co-investment provisions.
- A populated data room — formation documents, offering materials, service providers, compliance registrations, references.
- A defined raise target and timeline — total, minimum viable close, expected first close, and anything already committed or soft-circled.
- Answers to the hard questions — key person risk, capacity, drawdowns, gaps in the record, and why prior investors did or did not re-up.
Realistic timelines
Introductions typically begin within weeks of agreeing a target list. The raise itself is much slower.
Institutional allocators — pensions, endowments, foundations, consultants — commonly run six to eighteen months from first meeting to commitment, and first-time managers sit at the longer end of that range. Family offices and private investors often move considerably faster, sometimes materially so, because decision-making is concentrated and investment committees are smaller or absent.
Conversion from first meeting to allocation is low across the entire capital introduction industry. That is not a mark against the channel; it reflects how selective allocators are. The value comes from the volume of relevant meetings and from relationships that mature into commitments in a later vintage.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the process take before introductions begin?
Typically a few weeks from first conversation to first introduction, assuming your materials are ready. Discovery and assessment can happen in days. The gating factor is almost always the readiness of the pitch deck, track record and data room rather than anything on our side.
What happens if you decide you can't help?
We tell you at the assessment stage, and we tell you why. If the issue is fixable — materials, positioning, an unrealistic target list — we will say what we would want to see. Declining early is more useful to a manager than an engagement that quietly goes nowhere.
Do we agree the investor list before you make contact?
Yes, always. We build a named target list matched on mandate, ticket size, stage, geography and current deployment activity, and agree it with you before any outreach. Investors you already know come off the list.
What happens after an introduction is made?
The relationship is yours. We support scheduling and follow-up, keep momentum through diligence, and relay feedback candidly — but diligence, negotiation and the investment decision happen directly between you and the investor.
Do you report on activity?
Yes. You see the target list, who has been approached, who has responded, what stage each conversation is at, and what we have been told. There is no version of this where you find out how your own raise is going by asking.
SeRuM provides introduction and networking services. We are not a registered broker-dealer, not a placement agent, and not an investment adviser. We do not offer, solicit or sell securities, we do not provide investment, legal, tax or accounting advice, and we do not make recommendations regarding any investment. Nothing on this website constitutes an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security, and no such offer will be made except through definitive offering documents provided by the issuer. All investment decisions, due diligence and negotiations are the sole responsibility of the parties involved. Investing in private funds and private companies involves substantial risk, including illiquidity and total loss of capital. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
Next step
Tell us what you're raising.
Entity type, target size, timeline. That's enough for us to tell you quickly whether we can help — and to say so plainly if we can't.