How to Find Your Perfect Early-Stage Investors: A Two-Stage ChatGPT Deep Research Guide

Dori Stein
Mar 6
7 min read

Introduction: The Early-Stage Investor Research Problem

Finding the right early-stage investors for your startup is often a needle-in-a-haystack challenge. Most founders waste weeks researching general investors who have no interest in their specific niche, while missing the angels and seed investors who are already funding similar companies.

Note: This guide is specifically designed for finding early-stage investors (angels, pre-seed, and seed). If you're looking for later-stage investors (Series A and beyond), please read our post about "How to Reach VC Partners Through Portfolio Company CEOs," which outlines a different approach better suited for institutional investors.

This approach was inspired by a brilliant tip from Anthony Rose at SeedLegals in a startup WhatsApp group. When a founder asked about finding drinks sector investors, Anthony suggested:

"Top tip: Make a list of startups in this space (Lucky Saint, Dry Drinker, etc.). Go on Companies House, look up the company there. Download their latest Confirmation Statement. You'll see the investors who invested in them. And then you'll have your LinkedIn outreach right there."

While this advice is gold, executing it manually is incredibly time-consuming. That's why we've developed a two-stage ChatGPT Deep Research prompt chain that automates this entire process, allowing you to find perfect-fit investors in a fraction of the time.

Why This Approach Works Better Than Traditional Methods for Early-Stage Funding

Traditional early-stage investor research typically involves:

Browsing generic angel investor lists on platforms like Crunchbase
Asking for warm introductions through your network
Attending investor events and pitching competitions

These methods are inefficient because they don't target early-stage investors with a proven interest in your specific niche. Our approach is specifically optimized for angel and seed investors and has three key advantages:

Proven Interest: You'll find investors who have already funded similar companies, demonstrating a clear interest in your niche.
Higher Response Rates: Founders using this approach report 3X higher response rates because outreach can reference specific investments.
Time Efficiency: What would take days or weeks of manual research can be completed in a single afternoon.

The Two-Stage ChatGPT Deep Research Process

Our approach uses ChatGPT Plus's deep research capability, which allows for more extensive, higher-quality research compared to standard queries. Here's how the two-stage process works:

Stage 1: Identify Niche Companies in the UK

The first prompt identifies all relevant companies operating in your specific niche within the UK. This creates a comprehensive list of potential companies whose investor information you'll explore in Stage 2.

Step 1: Access ChatGPT Plus

Step 2: Use the Stage 1 Prompt Template

Copy and paste the following prompt, replacing the placeholder text in the parameters section with your specific details:

**Formatting re-enabled**

---

### Prompt 1: Identify Niche Companies in the UK

**Context:**  
You are an advanced AI specializing in deep research and analysis within specific market niches. Your task is to identify small companies operating in a specified niche and industry within the UK. This prompt is designed to help a UK entrepreneur seeking to understand the competitive landscape by compiling a list of companies that match their target niche.

**Parameters:**

1. **[Niche]**  
   {{ Insert the niche (e.g., "eco-friendly packaging", "digital health solutions") }}  
   **[/Niche]**

2. **[Industry]**  
   {{ Insert the industry relevant to the niche (e.g., "textile recycling", "healthtech") }}  
   **[/Industry]**

3. **[Geography]**  
   {{ Insert the target market geography (e.g., "UK") }}  
   **[/Geography]**

**Key Objectives:**

1. **Online Identification:**  
   - Conduct online searches using business directories, industry-specific websites, and databases to compile a preliminary list of small companies operating in the specified niche and industry within the UK.

2. **Company Verification:**  
   - Verify the identified companies using reliable sources such as Companies House to ensure legitimacy and gather additional details (e.g., company status, location).

3. **Data Aggregation:**  
   - Organize your findings into a structured table that includes at least the following columns:
     - **Company Name**
     - **Address/Location**
     - **Brief Description or Business Focus**

**Research Methods & Sources:**

- **Data Sources:**  
  - Use online search engines, business directories (e.g., Companies House, LinkedIn, industry portals), and market research studies.
- **Verification:**  
  - Cross-reference data with official records such as Companies House.
- **Formatting & Language:**  
  - Present your findings in a clear table format using markdown. Use UK English.
- **Ethical Considerations:**  
  - Ensure all information is publicly accessible and complies with legal standards.

**Expected Output:**  
Provide a table listing all identified niche companies in the UK with the following structure:

| Company Name | Address/Location | Business Focus/Description |
|--------------|------------------|----------------------------|
| Example Ltd. | London, UK       | Eco-friendly packaging solutions |
| ...          | ...              | ...                        |

Step 3: Review and Save the Results

ChatGPT will return a table of companies in your niche. Save this information as you'll need it for Stage 2.

Stage 2: Identify Investors for Niche Companies

The second prompt takes the list of companies from Stage 1 and automatically researches their investors, providing you with a targeted list of potential investors who have already demonstrated interest in your niche.

Step 4: Use the Stage 2 Prompt Template

Copy and paste the following prompt, incorporating the companies list from Stage 1:


### Prompt 2: Identify Investors for Niche Companies

**Context:**  
You are an advanced AI specializing in investor profiling and financial research for UK-based ventures. Your task is to identify potential investors for the niche companies previously identified. This involves extracting shareholder information from Companies House and researching these investors on LinkedIn to determine their backgrounds and investment focus. The output is intended to help a UK entrepreneur find potential investors aligned with their niche market.

**Parameters:**

1. **[Companies List]**  
   {{ Insert the list of companies identified from Prompt 1, including company names and other relevant details. }}  
   **[/Companies List]**

2. **[Geography]**  
   *(Implicit in context: UK)*

**Key Objectives:**

1. **Shareholder Analysis:**  
   - For each company in the provided list, access Companies House records to extract detailed shareholder information.
   - Identify shareholders that are most likely to be investors (e.g., individuals or entities holding significant percentages or with a history of investments in similar companies).

2. **Investor Profiling on LinkedIn:**  
   - Research each identified investor on LinkedIn to gather insights on their professional background, investment focus, and current activities.

3. **Data Aggregation:**  
   - Compile your findings into a table that includes the following columns:
     - **Company Name**
     - **Investor Name(s)**
     - **% Holdings**
     - **LinkedIn Profile URL(s)**

**Research Methods & Sources:**

- **Data Sources:**  
  - Use Companies House for shareholder information and LinkedIn for investor profiles.
  - Supplement with business directories or industry reports if necessary.
- **Verification:**  
  - Cross-reference shareholder data with publicly available investment profiles and ensure LinkedIn profiles are up-to-date.
- **Formatting & Language:**  
  - Present your findings in a clear markdown table. Use UK English.
- **Ethical Considerations:**  
  - Ensure all information is publicly accessible and complies with privacy and legal standards.

**Expected Output:**  
Provide a table listing the investors for the niche companies with the following structure:

| Company Name | Investor Name(s) | % Holdings | LinkedIn Profile URL(s) |
|--------------|------------------|------------|-------------------------|
| Example Ltd. | Jane Smith       | 30%        | [LinkedIn Profile](URL) |
| ...          | ...              | ...        | ...

Step 5: Analyze and Prioritize Your Investor List

After ChatGPT completes its research, you'll have a comprehensive table of investors who have already invested in companies similar to yours. This is your gold list for outreach.

How to Use This Information for Effective Investor Outreach

Now that you have a targeted list of investors, here's how to leverage this information effectively:

1. Prioritize Investors Based on Investment Patterns

Look for investors who have backed multiple companies in your niche
Pay attention to recent investments (within the last 1-2 years)
Note the approximate investment size based on % holdings

2. Craft Personalized Outreach Messages

Use this template for your initial LinkedIn or email outreach:

Subject: Your investment in [Similar Company] & our [Your Niche] venture

Hi [Investor Name],

I noticed you've invested in [Similar Company], and I thought our [Your Company] might be of interest given your focus on the [specific niche] sector.

We're building [brief one-sentence description] and have recently [mention a significant milestone or traction point].

Would you be open to a 15-minute call next week to discuss how we're addressing [specific problem] in a way that builds on what [Similar Company] has accomplished?

Best regards,
[Your Name]

3. Track and Follow Up

Create a simple tracking system to monitor outreach and responses. Follow up once after 5-7 days if you don't receive a response to your initial message.

Best Practices and Tips

To get the most out of this two-stage prompt chain:

Be as specific as possible with your niche: "Sustainable pet food" will yield better results than just "pet products."
Run the prompts during UK business hours: This may help with accessing up-to-date Companies House information.
Don't rush through all your ChatGPT deep research queries: Remember, you only get 10 deep research queries per month with ChatGPT Plus. Use them strategically.
Verify critical information manually: While ChatGPT does its best to provide accurate information, it's always good practice to verify key details, especially before important outreach.
Update your research quarterly: Investor landscapes change quickly, so refresh your research periodically.

Conclusion: A Smarter Approach to Early-Stage Investor Research

The old way of finding early-stage investors—browsing general angel directories and cold outreach—is inefficient and ineffective. Our two-stage ChatGPT Deep Research approach leverages the power of AI to identify angels and seed investors who have already demonstrated interest in your specific niche.

This targeted approach has consistently delivered for early-stage fundraising:

Higher response rates to angel and seed investor outreach
More engaged investor conversations at the pre-seed and seed stages
Better alignment between founder and early investor interests
Faster initial funding processes

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can transform what was once a weeks-long process of hit-and-miss research into a streamlined afternoon of highly targeted early-stage investor identification.

Remember, this approach is specifically designed for early-stage fundraising. For later funding rounds (Series A and beyond), different strategies are required—check out our post on "How to Reach VC Partners Through Portfolio Company CEOs" for guidance on approaching institutional investors.

Ready to find your perfect early-stage investors? Try this two-stage prompt chain today and let us know your results!

Ed Grants specializes in leveraging AI to help startups secure non-dilutive funding for growth and innovation. Our AI-powered approach has helped companies secure millions in funding while saving countless hours in the application process.