How Do You Get a Website Ready for a Funding Announcement?

The short answer

Work back from the announcement date. On the day, investors, candidates, customers and journalists will all open your site within hours. Fix the message first, then the pages they will land on, then the press assets and tracking. Most of our websites take 2 to 6 weeks, so start at least that far ahead.

The checklist at a glance

• Date: The announcement day, with a buffer before it
• Message: One line on what the company does now
• Pages: Home, product, about and careers
• Press: A news post, logo files, founder photos and product images
• Tracking: Analytics, forms and demo booking tested

What to do, in order

• Fix the message. The round usually comes with a sharper story. The homepage should tell it.
• Update the key pages. Investors check the homepage and about page. Candidates check careers. Buyers check product.
• Prepare the news post. Publish it on your own site so coverage has somewhere to link.
• Build a press kit. Logos, photos and product shots in one folder or page.
• Test everything. Forms, booking links, mobile layout and page speed, a few days before.

Examples from our work

We did the brand, website, motion and Webflow build for Further AI before its $25M Series A from a16z. For Sookti AI we delivered the brand, website and launch materials in 8 weeks for its Peak XV announcement.

Related reading: Rebrand Before or After a Fundraise?, How Long Does It Take to Build a Startup Website?

FAQ

How early should we start?

As soon as the round looks likely. A new site needs weeks, and dates move.

Do we need a launch film too?

It helps the announcement travel. Launch films usually take us 2 to 4 weeks.

What if the date moves?

Finish the site anyway. Hold the news post and switch it on when the date is confirmed.

Have a date in mind? Tell us and we reply with a scoping doc and timeline within 48 hours.