Early-Stage Startup Data Room Checklist ✔

Impress investors by meticulously organizing your data space, making their lives easier with consolidated information. This accelerates the due diligence process, reducing interruptions and granting you the focus needed for fundraising.

What goes in an early stage startups data room?

✅ Company Documents

• Amended and restated articles of incorporation
• Investors updates*

✅ Org

• List of FTEs with titles/location/salaries + contractors if any
• Board Members/Observers and Advisors
• Hiring plan

✅ Financials

• Cap table
• Historical P&L burn
• Data on growth, retention/churn, acquisition, engagement, LTV/CAC and payback period

✅ Technology

• Product demo
• System architecture program*
• API documentation*
• Product roadmap*
• Product backlog export and release map*
• Screenshots*

✅ IP

• Copyright and patents*

✅ Sales

• Contracts & LOIs (B2B)
• Sales pipeline (ideally weighted)
• Sales documents (decks etc)*
• Case studies*
• Reviews, testimonials, and feedback*

✅ Market Size

• Bottom-up market sizing* (this is a great guide from Pear VC)
• Supporting research papers etc*

✅ Marketing

• GTM Strategy*
• Competitive Analysis*
• Branding guidelines & vision*

✅ Other

• Pitch deck
• FAQ*

*Starred items simplify the due diligence process and are must for some startups and not needed for other. Use your judgement

How should you display your data room?

• Notion
• Google Drive
• DocSend