Zenith · Capital Ready
You don't have a funding problem. You have a preparation problem.
A 3-month sprint to make your business investor-grade — model, materials, target list, warm intros — and close your raise on the right terms.
Who It's For
Built for growth-stage founders who can run a business — but haven't yet learned to speak the investor's language.
- Founder or owner, 30–55, US-based
- Revenue $1M–$10M
- Raising equity $500K–$5M or debt $1M–$10M
- Has tried investors informally and been ignored or ghosted
Common situations
- Clinic groups seeking PE backing for multi-site expansion
- Family-owned businesses bringing in their first institutional investor
What We Hear
The exact words founders use.
On preparation
- "I've been talking to investors but nobody's moved forward. I don't know what I'm doing wrong."
- "I have a deck but it was made by a designer — investors don't seem convinced."
- "I sent my deck to 30 people. Two responded. One said 'interesting' and disappeared."
- "I've never built a proper financial model. I just show them my P&L."
On investor access
- "I don't know how to find the right investors for my type of business."
- "I get meetings with people who aren't actually decision-makers."
- "Everyone says 'get warm intros' but I don't have those relationships."
- "Matchmaking events are a complete waste of time."
On process
- "I don't know what investors actually want to see."
- "How do I know if their term sheet is fair?"
- "I'm negotiating this alone — I have no leverage."
- "I don't want to give away too much equity and regret it later."
On confidence
- "I freeze up when investors push back in meetings."
- "I'm an operator, not a finance person. I feel out of my depth."
- "I've been bootstrapping for 8 years. I'm not sure investors will take me seriously."
The Real Cost
Unprepared founders raise less, at worse terms — or not at all.
Here's where founders quietly bleed value during a raise:
| Gap | Impact |
|---|---|
| No proper financial model — investor doesn't trust the numbers | Raise falls through, or significant extra dilution |
| Weak narrative — investor can't explain it to their partners | Polite rejection: 'interesting, but not for us now' |
| No comparables or sector benchmarks | Investor anchors valuation 30–40% below fair value |
| Single investor process — no competitive tension | Terms dictated entirely by the investor |
| Owner doesn't understand the term sheet | Signs away controls, anti-dilution, liquidation prefs |
A business that could justify a $4M valuation, unprepared, often raises $1.5M at 40% dilution. The same business, Capital Ready, raises $2M at 25% dilution — at a $6M valuation. The founder retains 15% more equity and walks away with terms they can actually live with.
What You Get
Three months. From cold deck to signed term sheet.
01
Phase 01 · Month 1 · Investment Thesis & Financials
- Business valuation (EBITDA-based + live transaction comparables)
- 3-year financial model with base, upside and downside scenarios
- Investment thesis: the 2-paragraph story that makes an investor say yes
- Right investor class identified (family office, VC, PE, strategic)
- 50 qualified, sector-matched investor targets
02
Phase 02 · Month 2 · Deal Materials
- Information Memorandum: 25–40 page investor-grade document
- Investor pitch deck — 12–15 slides, built for the room, not for the designer's portfolio
- Data room build: financial, legal, operational, KPIs
- Management presentation: rehearsed, objection-hardened
03
Phase 03 · Month 3 · Investor Activation
- Warm introductions via our investor network — family offices, PE, strategics
- Investor meeting management: scheduling, follow-up, info requests
- Term sheet analysis — Zenith red-flags any unfair clauses
- Negotiation advisory: leverage, competitive tension, close
Pricing
The fee comes out of the raise, not your operating account.
| Structure | Amount | When paid |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly retainer | $6,000–$8,000/month | Upfront, monthly (3-month sprint) |
| Success fee | 2–3% of capital raised | At close only |
| Minimum engagement | 3 months | — |
Example economics
- Retainer: $7,000/mo × 3 = $21,000
- Raise $3M · 2.5% = $75,000
- Total Zenith fee: $96,000
- Founder raises $3M (vs. $2M unprepared) at lower dilution — net effect: 15–20% more equity retained for the founder
How to think about it
The fee comes out of the raise — you're typically not writing a cheque from your pocket. If we don't raise, you owe us nothing on the success side.
Why Now
The market is moving.
Family offices and PE funds are actively deploying into growth-stage companies.
Record levels of private capital are chasing quality growth-stage deals.
Healthcare PE consolidation is in full swing — buyers exist; founders just can't reach them.
Big 4 mandates start at $50M+ — every company below that is unserved.
Captive buyer and investor pool from Zenith Acquisition School — a network of trained, capital-ready backers no broker can replicate.
Our team has executed deals on both sides — fluent in investor and buyer psychology.