How to Prepare for Your IIOH Investor Meetings

Impact Investor Office Hours are short, high-leverage conversations.
The goal is not just to pitch, but to build real investor relationships that can compound over time.

Use this 6-step guide to get the most out of every meeting.

1. Be clear on your goal

You have 30 minutes. Decide upfront how you want to use them.

You can use an IIOH session to:

  • Pitch your business

  • Ask for advice on a specific challenge

  • Get general feedback on what you’re building

Most founders pitch. That’s fine.
But pitching framed as “seeking feedback” often leads to warmer, more productive conversations.

The real objective is relationship-building, not closing on the call.

2. Follow the 3:1 preparation rule

Spend 3x longer preparing than the meeting itself.

Before the call, research the investor:

  • What they’ve posted, liked, or shared on LinkedIn

  • Their fund, team, and portfolio

  • Similar companies they’ve backed

  • What themes and problems they care about

Your aim: quickly find common ground and tailor your story to what excites them.

3. Plan the meeting structure

Before the call:

  • Decide your agenda (even a simple one)

  • Know what outcome you want

  • Have all materials ready and easy to access

  • Share a pre-read if helpful

  • Connect on LinkedIn once the meeting is booked

On the call:

  • Open by confirming how you’d like to use the time

  • Ask if there’s anything specific they want to focus on

  • Keep an eye on time, meetings may be back-to-back

  • End with clear next steps

4. Get the tone right

You set the tone of the meeting.

Investors consistently say they value founders who are:

  • Warm and authentic

  • Curious and coachable

  • Open to feedback

  • Good listeners

Avoid:

  • Being defensive

  • Interrupting

  • Rushing to “sell” every point

You can disagree respectfully. What matters is showing you’ve understood their perspective.

5. Use the follow-up to stand out

The follow-up is half the work.

After the meeting:

  • Send a thank-you message quickly

  • Summarise key points and agreed next steps

  • If possible, act on a piece of feedback before replying

  • Remind them of anything they agreed to do

This signals speed, execution, and coachability.

If you don’t hear back:

  • Follow up after 7 days

  • Then again after 3 days

Chasing politely is expected.

6. Think beyond the single meeting

One meeting can unlock much more than one investor.

If an investor says “this isn’t for me”:

  • Don’t be discouraged

  • Ask directly: “Who in your network do you think this might be right for?”

That question often creates the biggest value.

IIOH 3 - FAQs

Are we selecting times to meet investors for the online event?

1

Investors review founder profiles and request meetings (primarily for 4 Feb). They propose times; founders can accept or propose alternatives. Unrest will then add additional matches manually where investors still have capacity.

Are founders supposed to browse investors and request meetings with specific people?

2

Founders cannot request meetings. Investors book first. After that, Unrest books remaining meetings for founders based on fit and your investor preferences.

Does my schedule only show to the investors I selected in my preferences?

3

Your schedule is open to all investors. Preferences help Unrest with matching, but they don’t restrict visibility.

Can investors book meetings on days other than 4 Feb?

4

Yes. Extra days are available so investors who cannot do 4 Feb can still meet you. Make sure your availability is set for other dates too.

Is it possible we might not get any investor meetings?

5

It’s possible in theory, but Unrest will actively intervene to avoid anyone leaving with zero meetings. We can’t always guarantee “dream meetings” due to supply/demand (80 VCs, 100 finalists), but we will try hard to get everyone matched.

Can we message investors on the platform?

6

Only once a meeting is booked. You cannot message investors without a booked meeting.

Do we get notified when investors book meetings?

7

Yes, via email notifications, but founders should also check the platform regularly (emails can land in spam).

Can we upload something other than a PDF pitch deck?

8

The “pitch deck” upload is PDF only, but you can add a link (for an “active pitch deck link”) inside any free-text box on your profile.

Other than setting availability, is there anything else we should do?

9

Complete your profile (answer the questions), upload your pitch deck, and submit the investor preference form. Then Unrest takes it from there.

What is “Create opportunities”? Are we meant to do something there?

10

It’s an optional feature founders use to announce raises (e.g., “Company X is raising pre-seed…”). Your main profile completeness matters more.

I already have meetings booked back-to-back. Do I enforce time strictly?

11

Yes, enforce time. You don’t want investors waiting. If needed, message investors on the platform to switch slots (you and they may have other availability days).

Can I bring additional teammates onto the investor call?

12

Yes, but don’t crowd it. Suggested max two people. Some investors strongly prefer only one founder on a first call unless a second person is essential (e.g., a technical deep dive).

If an investor says “this isn’t for me,” what should we do?

13

Don’t be disheartened. Ask directly: “Who in your network might this be for?” The goal is to multiply the network effect of a single meeting.

What’s the difference between online meetings (4 Feb) and the in-person event (11 Feb)?

14

4 Feb is scheduled online investor meetings on the platform. 11 Feb is a live event with a pitch segment and networking, food/drinks, and lots of investors. Even if you’re not pitching, you can network and meet investors.