Are you a founder

Raising capital?

here’s the problem

Whether experienced or not, founders often seek VC funding before knowing if they’re ready, what’s required, or whether it’s even the right type of funding. Too many approach investors with untested narratives and broken strategies.

Shot Ventures’ Capital Ready program provides 1-on-1 advising to help close that gap in 90-days — giving founders with the credibility, structure, and institutional-grade preparation that investors demand.

Unprepared investor materials and documents

No investor feedback or market insight

Mistakes in negotiations and deals

Not knowing why they were rejected

Shot Ventures provides 1-on-1 advising to help close that gap — providing founders with the credibility, structure, and institutional-grade preparation that investors demand.

Not ready for 1-on-1 advising? Learn more about group advising

Protect your equity

get capital ready

The Exclusive Advisory Program For Founders Raising Capital

  • Institutional-Level Preparation

    Guidance to prep your investor deck, 1-pager, financials and data room essentials

  • Initial Due Diligence

    We get to know you, your company, your offering, and identify any potential pitfalls

  • DEDICATED VC ADVISOR

    Individualized guidance to set and meet financing requirements

INITIAL DUE DILIGENCE

We get to know you, your company, your offering, and identify any potential pitfalls

DEDICATED VC ADVISOR

1-on-1 individualized guidance to set and meet financing requirements

INSTITUTIONAL LEVEL PREPARATION

Guidance to prep your investor deck, 1-pager, financials and data room essentials

Each year, Shot Ventures selects and invites promising founders into its advisory program, providing institutional-level guidance through a proprietary capital readiness framework.

The program is designed to help founders avoid wasted time, excess costs, and preventable mistakes – maintaining stronger equity positions while advancing with clarity and investor-grade preparation.

Over 90-days, founders receive direct advisement from Shot Ventures’ partners on financial modeling, market approach, legal, and M&A strategy — with candid investor feedback at every stage. The goal is to create a roadmap to capital that is clear – or make serious decisions on whether to go back to the drawing board.

Capital Ready is designed for both experienced and startup founders who demand institutional discipline and credibility in their capital journey. However, exclusivity is key. Not every founder gets in, and that’s intentional. We only work with founders we believe could be capital-ready with the right guidance.

Accepting Applications Now
  • 90-Day Advising Sprint with VC partners
  • 1-on-1 guidance. No cohorts or cookie-cutter programming
  • Direct advisement across VC, finance, market, legal, and M&A
  • Define the right capital pathway for your company and stage
  • Create a disciplined roadmap to guide decisions and avoid preventable missteps
  • Access exclusive opportunities to refine your pitch

Why Our Advising First Approach?

Most founders think raising capital is about finding “a yes.” The truth is, a bad yes is worse than a no. That’s why our advising program focuses on leverage—strategic preparation that shifts the deal in your favor. Founders who come through our program raise faster, on stronger terms, and with higher valuations. They keep more equity, access better investors, and walk away with a story investors actually want to buy into.

The partners at Shot Ventures are committed to providing founders with fundamental and critical resources, through both free and paid programs. Collectively, our team has supported over 5,000 founders—from first-time entrepreneurs to seasoned executives. And because our backgrounds span more than just venture financing, we understand how ecosystems thrive, how deals get done, and how founders succeed long after the term sheet is signed.

The alternative to skipping this preparation? Accepting a deal that takes advantage of an undercooked position—giving up more equity, weaker terms, and less control than you deserve. Advising flips that dynamic, so you walk into investor meetings ready, positioned, and raising from strength.

The impact of our advising is clear:

  • Negotiate fairer terms with confidence
  • Raise at stronger valuations while keeping more equity
  • Accelerate the raise with a sharper story and investor-ready materials
  • Signal credibility with candid investor feedback and VC-backed support

Yes, there is a participation fee — because serious advising requires commitment from the founder too

Unlike consulting retainers or accelerator “tuition,” our advising is built on the same discipline we bring to venture investing. It’s less costly to you and your business than the alternatives — in both cash and equity. No inflated fees. No equity grabs disguised as support. Just focused guidance that prepares you to raise stronger, faster, and on better terms.

Application for Capital Ready advisement program

Apply now

Fill out the form below to apply for our 1-on-1 advising program

Group advising for founders

Request access. Get started in as little as one week.

A curated, VC-led cohort designed for focus, momentum, and capital-readiness. Work alongside 5–7 founders in biweekly sessions where you sharpen your investor strategy, tackle funding barriers, and get real-time partner feedback. Includes Pitch Room access and structured support to keep your raise moving forward.

what’s required?

Expert Guidance to Get Founders Capital Ready

What is the deadline for applying?

Applications are accepted year-round and by invitation only.

How many founders will join the program?

We accept 20 companies per year, with rare exceptions.

What type of founder or company can apply?

We invite a select mix of founders — from first-time startup builders to seasoned executives preparing their next venture — who are actively planning to raise capital within the next 12 months. Joining the program means joining the ranks of founders committed to meeting institutional standards of discipline, transparency, and execution. Participation is by invitation only, and acceptance is limited to those we believe can truly benefit from venture-level guidance.

Do we have to be a startup?

Founders may apply to the program at any phase in their growth, from startup to seasoned executives.

What is the cost and commitment?

Founders cover and pay an advising fee for their commitment to participation for the 90-day advisor sprint, with a signed advising agreement required at the outset. Active participation and a willingness to act on feedback are essential. More than 90% of program costs are underwritten by our partners, and no equity is taken up front.

For a full fee schedule, please inquire or apply.

Do I have to give up equity?

No — the 90-day Capital Ready advising program requires no equity. More than 90% of costs are underwritten by our partners. Unlike many incubators, accelerators, or consultants, Shot Ventures takes no equity or cap table position for founder participation.

What qualities do you look for in founders?

Not all founders are a fit for our advising program. We accept founders who are receptive to feedback, accountable, resilient, transparent, and committed to executing on guidance.

Does the program guarantee funding?

No. Shot Ventures does not promise funding to participants. The program prepares founders to approach the right capital sources with investor-ready materials, due diligence preparation, and increased visibility, improving their ability to secure investment.

What resources are included in the program?

Expert Guidance

In addition to direct guidance from our venture team, founders may access our extended network of top-tier law firms, financial institutions, exited founders, M&A professionals, and subject matter experts. This is determined, based on need and focus, by the advisor.

Private Pitch Rooms and Events

Depending on their stage of preparation, founders will be invited to participate in private pitch rooms and also various other exclusive Shot Ventures events.

Visibility

Founders are also featured in Shot Ventures’ Capital Ready campaigns, raising visibility through our network.

We only invite founders who can engage with rigor, execute on feedback, and scale with institutional-grade discipline. If you have any questions about your application, feel free to contact us directly: info@shotventures.com 

Not quite ready for 1-on-1? Sign up for group advising

about our advising programs

All Shot Ventures advising and evaluation services are supported by institutional-grade analysis and conducted by our advisory and analyst team using the same frameworks applied in formal due diligence.

These sessions and evaluations are designed to provide objective feedback on key components of your business, materials, and capital strategy. Feedback is intended to be educational and advisory in nature — not investment advice, a solicitation for funding, or a guarantee of investor interest or outcome.

Any readiness score, written evaluation, or recommendation reflects our professional opinion at the time of review and should be used to inform your own independent judgment and decision-making.