A completed funding round means more than just more money – it also translates into trust and growth potential. Big news, then – but what’s the best way to announce it? No worries, we’ve got you!

Before you start preparing the announcement, ask yourself: What’s the goal of this news? Which target audiences do you want to reach? What are the key messages we want to communicate? As with any other story, these questions should always be front and center. Make sure you and your team set aside enough time for this from the get-go!

The Devil’s in the Details: The Classic W Questions

Once you’ve defined your goals, it’s time to get into the details. The first step is to clarify the key facts of the funding as early as possible. The best place to start? The classic W questions:

1. How much funding are we talking about?

Especially larger editorial outlets rarely cover funding rounds below €10 million. But don’t let that discourage you – other factors still play an important role.

2. Which funding round is this?

Name the type of funding round. It says a lot about your strategy and stage of development and allows journalists to compare your company with others at a similar stage. So: Is it pre-seed, Series A, B, C, a follow-on round, or an extension round?

3. Which investors are involved?

Editors want to know where all that money is coming from – and why the investors are putting it in. Are well-known names such as Global Founders Capital (GFC), Speedinvest, or HV Capital involved? If so, get a quote from them that you can include in your press release. It’s a great trust signal!

4. When can you officially announce the news?

It can sometimes take a little while to sort out all the formalities with the notary. Avoid discussing the funding with anyone beforehand. Also clarify whether the investors’ PR teams will be involved in the announcement. If so, align not only on the embargo date, but also on your overall approach. Ideally, document both in a shared sheet.

5. What will the fresh capital be used for?

The really interesting part of the news, though, is what the company plans to do with the money. Everyone knows the solution is going to be further developed. Instead, explain exactly how you plan to do that and what’s coming next.

Timing Is Key: Then Set the Embargo (or Don’t)

It’s already clear: Everyone needs to work with the same embargo. But it’s at least just as important to decide when that embargo should be lifted. As a general rule, avoid the beginning and end of the week. PR specialists tend to favor Tuesdays and Thursdays. That’s why it can be worth thinking outside the box: You can absolutely set the embargo for Wednesday, too. There’s a slightly lower chance that other major events will overshadow your funding news.

To avoid that, keep an eye on what’s happening in the world: Are the European elections taking place that day? Is the CEO of OpenAI giving a speech in Germany? Have aliens announced an invasion for your chosen date? Or is it simply Christmas? If any of these apply, you might want to move the embargo to another day – perhaps even to the following week.

Set Your Expectations Right: Managing Expectations Is Key

Not every funding round is newsworthy. That means you need to manage expectations – with yourself, your managers, or your clients. Even for PR professionals, getting a funding round below €10 million into the business press has become very difficult. Only particularly innovative business models with strong topical relevance and well-known investors tend to make the cut.

So, clarify in advance which media outlets are actually realistic. Take inspiration from similar funding announcements in the past. And between us: Sometimes it makes sense to consider English-language media, too. What’s not relevant to Handelsblatt might be big news for tech.eu or EU-Startups.

Pitch Perfect: The Press Release Only Plays Second Fiddle

For your news, you should prepare a press release. You’re probably thinking: “What?! Doesn’t getpress usually hate press releases?” – And you’d be right. But when it comes to big news involving lots of different parties, quotes, and a whole lot of information, a press release still makes sense. Just make sure it’s not too long and is well structured. And definitely have all parties involved approve the press release before it goes out. But watch out: The more investors are on board, the longer this process will take. So make sure you plan enough time!

An individual pitch is still the most important thing! Start your outreach around 7 to 14 days before the embargo date. This gives you enough time to speak to all your target journalists and, if needed, arrange interviews. Prepare a small media kit in advance containing the press release as well as relevant, high-quality images. You can then easily share it with journalists who are interested in the news.

When pitching, be sure to mention the embargo and always keep one question front and center: What exactly is the news about? And why is it relevant now?

Let’s Talk Numbers: Take Stock

Often, it’s impossible to tell before the embargo date which outlets will actually cover the funding. That’s why you should keep a very close eye on the relevant media that day. Set up the appropriate Google Alerts to make sure you don’t miss anything. Keep in mind, though: Not every outlet publishes the news as soon as the embargo lifts. Sometimes you won’t spot a clipping until 2–3 days later.

Once some time has passed, make sure to do a quick review: Are you happy with the results? What worked well? What didn’t? Be sure to get feedback from everyone involved, too. That way, you can refine your approach for future funding announcements and maximize the outcome.

It’s not all about the money!

It’s true that a €500 million funding round will always seem more relevant than a single- or double-digit million round. But funding isn’t just about the money – it’s about so much more. And that’s exactly what you should keep in mind when preparing your announcement and, above all, when pitching it to the media. Every funding round is exciting and relevant in its own way – your job is to figure out what makes yours stand out. Once you’ve understood that, you can hardly go wrong!

Got a strong funding story and looking for support? We’ll support you throughout the entire project and get your story onto the relevant channels. Let’s talk.