Show Notes
Emmie and Mae sit down with Rupa Popat - exited founder, angel investor, and VC fund manager with close to $70 million in assets under management. Rupa brings a rare perspective: she's been a founder who failed her first raise, went on to exit her first business to a listed company, backed over 30 companies as an angel, and now runs Arāya Ventures which includes the Arāya Sie Fund, backing only female founders and completed its first close just weeks before this recording. In this episode they cover the real difference between angel and VC money (and why it matters more than founders think), what genuinely makes a business VC-backable in the current AI landscape, and the three things Rupa would tell every first-time female founder to do before pitching a single investor. There's also a moment that will surprise a lot of founders: Rupa's take on personalising investor emails. Download the free one-page playbook for this episode at https://femalefoundersriseshow.com/ Recorded live at The Fable, London You'll learn: Whether your business is actually VC-backable - and how to know before you pitch What gets a VC to open your email when they see 75 pitches a week Why you should build your data room before your first investor call How to use strategic angels to create FOMO with VCs What to say when a VC asks your valuation and you don't have an answer yet Resources mentioned: Arāya Signal (Rupa's newsletter for founders): https://arayasignal.com/ Apply to Arāya Ventures: https://airtable.com/appig9dfaVY4inUvw/pagT6NVSWYlpwrcbF/form Araya Sie Fund: https://www.sie.ventures/araya-sie-fund Female Founders Rise: https://femalefoundersrise.com/
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