Funding Readiness | Reynold O'Connor
Reynold O'ConnorFUNDING READINESS / COHORT 01
Founding cohort 01 · Applications open

Your product is moving. Now get the raise ready to match.

For founders with a working product and early traction, Funding Readiness turns the materials behind a planned raise into a focused four-week project. Bring the real numbers, work on them with a small cohort, and take a clearer case into investor meetings.

Cohort 01 · Online · 26 October-21 November 2026 · 8-10 startups · ₹25,000 flat · No equity · Apply by 15 October

Apply for Cohort 01 Free briefing, 9 Oct

Free Founders’ Briefing · Friday 9 October · 4:00-5:00 PM IST

EXAMPLE REVIEW SHEET · ILLUSTRATIVEWEEK 01
The amountReview

Which milestones will this amount fund?

The pitchClear

The opening names the customer and their problem.

The modelReview

Align the hiring plan with runway assumptions.

Example only; not a founder or investor result.

01 / PROGRAMME OVERVIEW

Work on the raise as one connected case.

A raise asks a founder to connect several things at once: what the business has proved, what it will do next, how much capital that needs, and whether the documents support the story. Funding Readiness gives those pieces a place to be worked on together.

Cohort 01 is for founders of early-stage AI and tech startups who expect to raise within three to six months. It runs online from 26 October to 21 November. There are 8-10 places so that each founder can work on their own materials, not just listen to group advice.

At the end, you should have a more precise ask, a revised pitch and model, a better organised set of supporting documents, written points to address, and a 90-day plan for approaching relevant investors. The work is yours to use after the cohort ends.

02 / PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

What you will work towards.

  1. 01 / DEFINE THE ROUNDState the amount, its use and the milestones it is meant to support in a form you can explain in one meeting.
  2. 02 / ALIGN THE PITCHBring the story, customer evidence, traction and deck into one clear account of the company.
  3. 03 / TEST THE NUMBERSCheck the model, runway, assumptions and cap table against the plan you are presenting.
  4. 04 / PREPARE THE DOCUMENTSPut ownership and company documents in order and identify questions that still need an answer.
  5. 05 / PLAN THE OUTREACHBuild a stage- and sector-based investor list and a 90-day sequence for reaching out and following up.

03 / PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

One topic each week. One round of review and revision.

Allow about 6-8 hours a week for sessions and your own work. The review format will be confirmed before enrolment and payment: two to three potential early-stage investor reviewers are in discussion and have not confirmed participation. Reynold runs the cohort sessions.

THURSDAY

Submit

Send the week's materials.

SATURDAY

Review

Discuss them in a 30-minute one-to-one.

SUNDAY

Feedback

Receive written points to address.

NEXT WEEK

Revise

Apply what you learned to the next set of materials.

THE FOUR WEEKS

Four focused pieces of the raise.

  1. 01
    The askBegins 26 Oct

    The funding amount

    Build it around use of funds and milestones.

    Bring to reviewYour deck and the assumptions behind the round.

  2. 02
    The pitchWeek 2

    The first explanation

    Work on the business, customer and evidence.

    RevisionMake the deck understandable without live narration.

  3. 03
    The evidenceWeek 3

    The supporting case

    Bring the model, traction, cap table and ownership documents together.

    RevisionIdentify where the materials need clearer support or follow-up.

  4. 04
    OutreachConcludes 21 Nov

    The route to market

    Set priorities and present the revised case.

    FinishWritten review and a 90-day plan to work from.

Apply for Cohort 01

04 / TIMELINE

From application to final review.

  1. 9 OCTOBERFounders' Briefing, 4:00-5:00 PM IST. See the working format and ask questions.
  2. 15 OCTOBERApplication window closes. Tell us about the product, traction and planned raise.
  3. AS APPLICATIONS ARRIVEShort fit calls with founders whose stage matches the cohort.
  4. 16 OCTOBERFinal selection decisions sent to applicants.
  5. 20-21 OCTOBERSelected founders receive onboarding instructions and prepare their first materials.
  6. 26 OCTOBERCohort opens and the first week's work begins.
  7. 21 NOVEMBERFinal review and close of Cohort 01.

05 / WHO RUNS IT

Reynold O'Connor

I have spent about ten years working alongside founders and investors, including at T-Hub's MATH AI Centre of Excellence and Deshpande Startups. This programme draws on a practical part of that work: taking a founder's existing materials and making the decisions behind them clearer. I read the applications and lead the cohort myself.

Investor review arrangements

Two to three early-stage investor reviewers are in discussion for Cohort 01. They are not confirmed yet. The people and format for each review will be clear before anyone enrols and pays.

Reynold's LinkedIn ↗

06 / WHO SHOULD APPLY

Founders with a product and a planned raise.

Company stage

  • AI or tech startup with a working product
  • Signs of demand: customers, pilots, usage or other early traction
  • Pre-seed or seed raise of roughly ₹25 lakh to ₹3 crore within 3-6 months

Founder commitment

  • At least one founder working full-time on the business
  • Time for weekly reviews and revisions
  • Actual deck, model, cap table and customer evidence to work on

Each application is considered for its fit with the four-week format. The cohort has 8-10 places.

07 / FEE AND REFUND

₹25,000 flat. Your equity stays yours.

₹25,000FOUR WEEKS · COHORT 01

The fee covers the cohort, working sessions, reviews, written feedback and final plan.

Full refund if your Week 1 one-to-one investor review does not happen.

Participation and data-handling terms are shared before enrolment and payment.

Funding is not guaranteed.

Applications close 15 October

08 / FOUNDERS' BRIEFING

See the format before you decide.

Friday 9 October · 4:00-5:00 PM IST · Online · Free

Reynold will walk through a weekly assignment, show what a written review is designed to cover, and answer questions about fit, time and the application. He will share reviewer details if confirmed by then.

Register for the free briefing ↗

09 / FAQ

Before you apply.

What do I need to bring?

Your current pitch, the figures you use to run the business, and the documents behind your proposed raise. They can be works in progress.

How are the reviews arranged?

Reynold leads the cohort. Two to three potential early-stage investor reviewers are in discussion. Their participation is unconfirmed; the final review arrangements will be shared before enrolment and payment.

How much time will I need?

Set aside around 6-8 hours each week for submission, review and revision. The one-to-one review is planned for Saturday.

How are my materials handled?

Materials are shared with the people working on your cohort reviews. You will receive the full data-handling terms before enrolment. Pitch reviewers do not sign NDAs.

What happens if I miss my one-to-one slot?

Saturday review slots are reserved for individual founders. If you miss yours, that week's review is forfeited.

Can I take part from another city?

Yes. The cohort is online. You will need to attend the live work in IST.

What does the programme lead to?

You leave with revised materials, written feedback and an outreach plan. Funding is not guaranteed.

FOUNDING COHORT 01

Bring your current raise materials. Leave with a clearer case.

Cohort 01 starts 26 October. Applications close 15 October.

Apply for Cohort 01 ↗Attend the free Founders' Briefing ↗