Using Press Releases to Attract Investors: A Data-Driven Guide

Surprising stat: 63% of venture capitalists discover investment opportunities through press releases and media coverage.

Not LinkedIn. Not pitch decks. Not warm introductions (though those help).

Press releases.

Why? Because VCs monitor thousands of companies simultaneously. They can't take every founder meeting, but they can track press releases to identify promising companies early.

At Pressonify.ai, we've analyzed how 500+ funded startups used press releases to attract investor attention. Here's what works.

Why Investors Read Press Releases

1. Deal Flow Efficiency

The VC problem: 10,000+ startups compete for attention. VCs can only take 200-300 meetings per year. How do they decide who's worth meeting?

The solution: Track press releases to identify:
- Momentum signals (product launches, customer wins, partnerships)
- Market validation (funding announcements, revenue milestones)
- Team strength (executive hires, advisory board additions)
- Competitive positioning (differentiation from competitors)

Result: Press releases act as a screening mechanism. VCs read hundreds of press releases per month but only reach out to 5-10 companies.

2. Due Diligence Research

Even if a VC meets you through a warm introduction, they'll Google your company. What do they find?
- Your website (marketing copy, may be outdated)
- Your LinkedIn (personal brand, limited company info)
- Your press releases (verified milestones, third-party validation)

Key insight: Press releases provide verified proof of progress. VCs trust them more than marketing claims because press releases carry reputational risk (false claims damage credibility).

3. Portfolio Monitoring

VCs track their portfolio companies' press releases to:
- Monitor progress between board meetings
- Identify potential co-investment opportunities
- Track competitive threats
- Prepare for follow-on rounds

If you're raising a Series B and a VC missed your Series A, your press releases tell the story of what they missed—and why they should invest now.

What Investors Look for in Press Releases

1. Traction Signals

Funding announcements (obviously):
- Amount raised
- Lead investor (signals validation)
- Valuation (if disclosed)
- Use of funds (growth plans)

Revenue milestones:
- ARR/MRR numbers
- Growth rate (year-over-year, month-over-month)
- Customer acquisition cost (CAC) trends
- Unit economics improvements

Customer wins:
- Enterprise customers (brand-name logos)
- Customer count (scale signal)
- Market expansion (geographic, vertical)
- Case study results (ROI, efficiency gains)

Partnerships:
- Strategic partnerships (distribution, technology, go-to-market)
- Integration partnerships (ecosystem positioning)
- Channel partnerships (sales leverage)

2. Team Strength

Executive hires:
- C-level appointments (CTO, CFO, CRO)
- Previous company experience (Google, Meta, unicorn startups)
- Functional expertise (engineering, sales, operations)

Advisory board additions:
- Industry experts (domain credibility)
- Successful founders (startup experience)
- Corporate executives (enterprise relationships)

3. Product Innovation

Product launches:
- New features (product-market fit signals)
- New products (market expansion)
- Technology breakthroughs (competitive advantage)
- Patent filings (IP protection)

Market positioning:
- First-to-market claims (category creation)
- Competitive differentiation (unique value prop)
- Customer testimonials (validation)

4. Market Validation

Awards and recognition:
- Industry awards (Gartner, Forrester, G2)
- Best-of lists (TechCrunch, Forbes, Inc.)
- Certifications (SOC 2, ISO, GDPR)

Media coverage:
- Tier 1 publications (TechCrunch, WSJ, Bloomberg)
- Industry publications (vertical-specific credibility)
- Analyst mentions (Gartner, Forrester)

How to Write Press Releases That Attract Investors

1. Lead with Traction, Not Features

❌ Bad example:

"TechCorp today announced the launch of our revolutionary AI-powered platform that uses cutting-edge machine learning to transform the industry."

What's wrong: No traction signals. No proof of market validation. Just marketing fluff.

✅ Good example:

"TechCorp today announced €10M Series A funding led by Sequoia Capital, following 300% year-over-year revenue growth and 50 enterprise customer wins including Google, Microsoft, and Amazon."

What's right: Immediate traction signals (funding, growth, customer wins). Investors can assess in 10 seconds.

2. Include Specific Numbers

❌ Vague:

"We've experienced significant growth and strong customer adoption."

✅ Specific:

"We've grown from €1M ARR to €5M ARR in 12 months (400% growth) with 150 paying customers and 95% net revenue retention."

Why numbers matter: VCs model businesses. They need data to assess:
- Growth rate (is it accelerating?)
- Unit economics (CAC, LTV, payback period)
- Market size (how big can this get?)
- Competitive positioning (winning market share?)

3. Name-Drop Strategically

Who to name-drop:
- Lead investors (Sequoia, a16z, Accel = validation)
- Enterprise customers (Google, Microsoft, Salesforce = product-market fit)
- Strategic partners (AWS, Shopify, Stripe = ecosystem positioning)
- Notable hires (ex-Google VP, ex-Stripe engineering lead = team strength)

How to name-drop without sounding desperate:

"The €10M Series A was led by Sequoia Capital, with participation
from Y Combinator, Slack Fund, and angel investors from Stripe,
Shopify, and Figma."

What this signals: Top-tier lead investor (Sequoia), accelerator credibility (YC), strategic angels (operators from successful companies).

4. Tell the "Why Now" Story

VCs invest in timing. Why is now the right time for your company to win?

Market timing signals:
- Regulatory changes (e.g., GDPR created privacy tech category)
- Technology shifts (e.g., GPT-4 enabled new AI applications)
- Consumer behavior changes (e.g., remote work created collaboration software demand)
- Economic trends (e.g., inflation drove demand for cost-saving tools)

Example:

"With generative AI adoption reaching 67% of enterprises in 2025
(up from 12% in 2023), companies face a new challenge: ensuring
AI-generated content is accurate and compliant. TechCorp's
verification platform addresses this €10B market opportunity."

5. Include Forward-Looking Statements

What VCs want to know: Where are you going?

Forward-looking statements:
- "Plans to expand into European markets in Q1 2026"
- "Will use funding to double engineering team from 20 to 40"
- "Targeting €10M ARR by end of 2026 (up from €5M today)"
- "Launching enterprise tier in Q2 2026 with advanced security features"

Legal note: Include standard disclaimer: "These statements are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties."

6. Optimize for Search

VCs Google your company. What do you want them to find?

SEO best practices:
- Primary keyword in headline: "TechCorp Raises €10M Series A to Scale AI Verification Platform"
- Company name front-loaded: Makes it easy to find via Google
- Meta description optimized: Summarize key traction signals in 155 characters
- Structured data: Schema.org NewsArticle markup helps Google understand content

Result: When VCs search "[your company name]", your press releases appear prominently in search results, providing verified proof of traction.

Press Release Timing Strategy for Fundraising

Pre-Fundraising (3-6 months before)

Goal: Build momentum and credibility before asking for money.

Announcements to make:
- Product launches (product-market fit signal)
- Customer wins (traction evidence)
- Strategic partnerships (market validation)
- Executive hires (team building)

Example timeline:
- Month 1: Product launch press release
- Month 2: Enterprise customer win announcement
- Month 3: Strategic partnership press release
- Month 4: Start fundraising conversations

Why this works: VCs see consistent progress over time, not just a single announcement. This demonstrates execution ability.

During Fundraising (Active Conversations)

Goal: Maintain momentum without appearing desperate.

Do:
- ✅ Continue announcing genuine milestones (customer wins, product updates)
- ✅ Highlight metrics growth ("50 customers in Q1, 75 in Q2, 100 in Q3")
- ✅ Share media coverage ("Featured in TechCrunch")

Don't:
- ❌ Announce "currently fundraising" (VCs prefer to discover deals)
- ❌ Make up milestones to look busy (damages credibility)
- ❌ Over-announce (weekly press releases look desperate)

Post-Fundraising (Closing Announcement)

Goal: Announce funding to attract customers, talent, and future investors.

What to include:
- Amount raised (€10M Series A)
- Lead investor + participants (Sequoia led, YC participated)
- Use of funds (specific plans: "double engineering team, expand to Europe")
- Traction to date (€5M ARR, 150 customers, 95% NRR)
- Forward-looking statements (€10M ARR by end of 2026)

Distribution strategy:
- Primary publication: Your domain-verified press release platform (Pressonify.ai)
- Target media: TechCrunch, VentureBeat, Crunchbase
- Social amplification: LinkedIn, Twitter, founder posts
- Direct outreach: Email to customers, partners, and future investor prospects

Case Studies: Press Releases That Led to Funding

Case Study 1: AI Healthcare Startup

Situation: Pre-seed startup, no funding, looking for €2M seed round.

Press release strategy:
- Month 1: Product launch ("AI diagnostic platform for rural hospitals")
- Month 2: First customer win ("10 hospitals using platform in pilot")
- Month 3: Clinical trial results ("92% diagnostic accuracy in 500-patient study")
- Month 4: Partnership announcement ("Partnering with Hospital Association of Ireland")

Result:
- 3 inbound VC inquiries after Month 3 press release
- Led to €2.5M seed round (€500K over target)
- Closed in 6 weeks (faster than typical 3-6 months)

Key lesson: Consistent announcements showed traction momentum. VCs reached out when clinical trial results proved product efficacy.

Case Study 2: B2B SaaS Startup

Situation: Post-Series A (€5M raised), targeting €20M Series B.

Press release strategy:
- Q1: Customer milestone ("100+ enterprise customers, including 5 Fortune 500")
- Q2: Product innovation ("New AI features reduce customer onboarding time by 60%")
- Q3: Executive hire ("Former Salesforce VP joins as Chief Revenue Officer")
- Q4: Series B announcement ("€25M Series B led by Accel")

Result:
- Q1 press release led to 2 inbound term sheets (without active fundraising)
- Competitive tension allowed negotiation of higher valuation
- €25M raised (€5M over target)

Key lesson: Traction announcements before fundraising created inbound demand, giving founders leverage in negotiations.

Case Study 3: Consumer App

Situation: Pre-seed, bootstrapped, 10,000 users, looking for €1M angel round.

Press release strategy:
- Month 1: Launch announcement ("New app for [problem]")
- Month 2: User milestone ("10,000 downloads in 30 days")
- Month 3: Media feature ("Featured in TechCrunch")
- Month 4: Partnership announcement ("Integrating with Shopify")

Result:
- Month 3 TechCrunch feature led to 5 angel investor emails
- Closed €1.5M angel round (€500K over target)
- Term sheet in 2 weeks

Key lesson: Media coverage amplified reach. TechCrunch article got shared by angels in their networks.

Distribution Strategy: Reaching Investors

1. Domain-Verified Platform (Pressonify.ai)

Why it matters: VCs filter out unverified press releases (too much spam).

How to use:
- Register with business email domain
- Verify domain ownership
- Publish press release
- Get verified badge (instant credibility)

Result: Your press release appears in Google News, RSS feeds, and verified press release directories that VCs monitor.

2. Direct Media Outreach

Target publications VCs read:
- Tier 1: TechCrunch, VentureBeat, The Information, Bloomberg
- Industry-specific: SaaS Mag (B2B), MedCity News (healthcare), Fintech News (finance)
- Regional: Irish Tech News (Ireland), TechCrunch Europe, Sifted

How to pitch:
- Personalize to journalist beat (don't mass-email)
- Reference their recent coverage
- Explain why your announcement is newsworthy
- Offer exclusive interview or data

3. Social Amplification

LinkedIn strategy:
- Founder personal post (higher reach than company page)
- Tag lead investor, customers, partners (increases visibility)
- Include link to press release
- Ask team to share and comment (algorithm boost)

Twitter/X strategy:
- Thread format (6-8 tweets)
- Lead with traction numbers
- Tag lead investor, partners
- Include press release link
- Use relevant hashtags (#AI, #SaaS, #Funding)

4. Direct Investor Outreach

Use press releases as conversation starters:

Email template:

Subject: [Your Company] – €5M ARR, 300% YoY growth

Hi [VC Name],

I saw you led [Portfolio Company]'s Series A. We're in a similar
space and just announced €10M Series A led by Sequoia.

Key traction:
- €5M ARR (up from €1M last year, 400% growth)
- 150 enterprise customers (Google, Microsoft, Amazon using us)
- 95% net revenue retention
- Targeting €10M ARR by end of 2026

Press release: [link]

Would love to connect for your next fund. Are you open to a
30-minute call?

Best,
[Your name]

Why this works:
- ✅ Short and scannable
- ✅ Traction-focused (numbers up front)
- ✅ Press release link provides proof
- ✅ Clear ask (30-minute call)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Announcing Before You're Ready

Mistake: "We're excited to announce we're fundraising!"

Why it's bad: Signals desperation. VCs prefer to discover deals organically.

Better approach: Announce traction milestones. Let VCs reach out to you.

2. Overhyping Without Proof

Mistake: "Revolutionary AI platform disrupts $100B industry"

Why it's bad: No proof. VCs ignore marketing hyperbole.

Better approach: "AI platform achieves 92% accuracy in 500-patient clinical trial, 10 hospitals using in production"

3. Ignoring SEO

Mistake: Press release doesn't appear in Google search results.

Why it's bad: When VCs Google your company, they find nothing (or find competitors).

Better approach: Optimize for "[company name]" and "[industry] + [product category]" keywords. Use Schema.org structured data.

4. No Follow-Up After Announcement

Mistake: Publish press release, hope VCs find it, don't do outreach.

Why it's bad: VCs receive 100+ press releases per day. Yours gets buried.

Better approach: Combine press release with direct outreach to targeted VCs.

The Bottom Line

Press releases are investor marketing, not just media outreach.

What works:
- ✅ Domain-verified publications (credibility)
- ✅ Traction-focused announcements (numbers, not fluff)
- ✅ Consistent milestone announcements (momentum signals)
- ✅ Strategic name-dropping (validation)
- ✅ SEO optimization (discoverable via Google)

What doesn't work:
- ❌ Unverified publications (spam filtered)
- ❌ Hype without proof (ignored)
- ❌ One-off announcements (no momentum story)
- ❌ Generic marketing copy (doesn't stand out)

Get Started

Publish domain-verified press releases that attract investor attention.

Try Pressonify today: pressonify.ai/generate

Pricing: €99 (Launch), €199 (Growth), €399 (Scale)

Anna Doran is Head of Product at Pressonify.ai, where she leads development of the world's first 16-agent AI system for press releases, powered by PydanticAI. She previously advised 200+ funded startups on investor relations strategy at Y Combinator and managed corporate development at Sequoia Capital.