Almost always. Early-stage investing is founder-first — investors evaluate the team as carefully as the business — and the cheapest way to form a first impression is a search. Before a partner spends an hour with you, they spend a few minutes with your search results.
An empty search is not neutral — it creates doubt. If a quick look returns little, investors wonder why, and that unanswered question works against you before the meeting starts. Coverage answers “is this real?” before it is asked.
Fill page one with credible, relevant pages: at least one recognised business or finance feature, an industry placement, and a founder byline that shows point of view. See exactly what investors see when they Google your startup and how to build founder credibility before meeting investors. This is the core idea behind the full fundraising PR guide.
Add credible, indexable coverage to your page one — pay only when each feature is live.
Yes. Most run an informal search before agreeing to a meeting and review press coverage during due diligence, so your search results form their first impression.
Legitimacy, a consistent story, independent validation through media coverage, and the absence of red flags. A credible, relevant page one reassures them.
Yes — an empty result creates doubt. Investors expect a real company to have some footprint, so a blank page raises questions you do not want asked.
Secure recognised media coverage, a founder byline and a clean, consistent presence, then make sure those pages occupy your first page of Google before you start raising.
Around six to eight weeks before your first meeting, so coverage is live and indexed when investors search you.