Looking for investors for your business in France? Whether you run a disruptive startup or an up-and-coming small or medium-sized company, securing the right financial partner is key to spurring growth. This article will outline when and how to find an investor and how Stripe Capital can help you raise funds.

What’s in this article?

• Why look for an investor
  
• When to look for an investor
  
• How to find an investor
  
• How to find the ideal investor for your business
  
• How Stripe Capital can help
  

Why look for an investor

All businesses need capital to achieve their goals and sustain growth. An investor can help you turn your plans into reality by providing the funds required. In addition to financial support, some backers, such as angel investors, also share their experience and knowledge to help you navigate the market, grant access to vast professional networks, and open the door to new opportunities.

Having a backer also lends added credibility, making it easier to obtain financing, such as large bank loans, and increasing your chance of success, whether pursuing an acquisition or seeking a higher valuation.

When to look for an investor

There are several stages of development at which a venture might pursue investment. Companies usually look for investors:

• When starting or resuming a business
  
• After acquiring initial clients, when aiming to innovate, launch additional products or services, boost credibility, or expand into new or international markets
  
• When reaching a stage of maturity requiring substantial infusions of capital for large-scale projects
  

How to find an investor

To find the right investor, you’ll need to:

• Write a solid, structured, viable business plan that includes a market analysis, a study of the competition, your business model, objectives, growth strategy, and your financial projections
  
• Identify your financial needs, the amount to raise, and your company’s phase of development
  
• Familiarize yourself with the different types of backers to determine which ones are right for you
  
• Prepare a compelling pitch and pitch deck that showcase the value that your business adds
  
• Build a relationship with potential investors by being transparent, relying on up-to-date information, and maintaining open communication
  

Startups often turn to friends and family, associates, colleagues, and the community to fund early operations. They could pursue private funding from crowdfunding platforms or angel investor networks (including France Angels, the National Federation of Business Angels). They might also participate in competitions, seek support from startup incubators or accelerators, or receive aid from government programs.

Businesses in the growth stage, on the other hand, are often in search of more substantial investments from venture capital funds, lenders, or banks. France Invest offers a directory of venture capital entities. Bpifrance is a public investment bank that provides financing for every stage of development.

How to find the ideal investor for your business

It’s possible to target the right investors from the very beginning. The right investor will share your vision and values. They can help support funding and strategy (if you’d like) and open new opportunities.

Quality backers are often found at networking events and conferences or on websites dedicated to financing. You’ll need a clear strategy and to make sure investors share your interests before contacting them.

How Stripe Capital can help

Stripe Capital offers revenue-based financing solutions to help your business access the funds it needs to grow.

Capital can help you:

• Access growth capital faster: Get approved for a loan or merchant cash advance in minutes—without the lengthy application process and collateral requirements of traditional bank loans.
  
• Align financing with your revenue: Capital’s revenue-based structure means you pay a fixed percentage of your daily sales, so payments scale with your business performance. If the amount that you pay through sales doesn’t meet the minimum due each payment period, Capital will automatically debit the remaining amount from your bank account at the end of the period.
  
• Expand with confidence: Fund growth initiatives such as marketing campaigns, new hires, inventory expansion, and more—without diluting your equity or personal assets.
  
• Use Stripe’s expertise: Capital provides custom financing solutions informed by Stripe’s deep expertise and payments data.
  

Learn more about how Stripe Capital can fuel your business growth, or get started today.