The Seed Round Success Masterclass

Learn how to confidently raise your first VC round — from a former VC and founder who’s helped dozens of startups close successfully.

Enroll now (€399 lifetime access)

Who this course is for

Here are just a few reasons why students choose our course

First time founders

If you are a first time founder and have never raised money before, this course will be a game changer. You will learn the entire process hands-on and will be equiopped with a massive confidence boost.

First Time Founders

Experienced founders

Many experienced founders have taken the course and learnt a ton. Fundraising is complex, this course goes really deep and I have a unque perspective on how to succesfully run a fundrise.

Early stage funding rounds

This course is mainly aimed at founders raising early stage funding, regarless of their experience. If you are raising a pre-seed, seed or series-A this is the course for you. Need help with later stage funding? Schedule a call and we can see how I can support.

Students

Are you student draeming about becming an entrepreneur? It is never too early to learn how to fundraise.Hit me up and we can talk about a student discount.

Investors

Many of the course participants are investors, business angels or venture capitalists. It can be very valuable and powerful to learn the process from the other side.

Incubators and accelerators

This is an excellent course for accelerators and incubators wanting to support their portfolio companies. Reach out it you are interested in buying course licenses in bulk,

In this course you'll master…

Understand how venture capital works

We start with a crash course on how venture capital works, what VCs look for when they invest and what type of venture capital is most relevant to you. Later in the course we will go deeper and you will learn how venture capitalists think and work, what their deeper motivations are, how VC psychlogy works and how to use it to your advantage when fundraising.

Understand how venture capital works

Understand how venture capital works

Fundraising timeline and planning

The first step towards a succesful fundraise is planning. Learn how to use my fundraising project trackerandeimeline to plan every single step of your fundraise. The second step of the preparation is getting all of the necessary material in ordrer. I will teach you how to determine how much to raise, how to value your company, how to build a financial plan and most importantly how to time your fundraise against relevant milestones.

Fundraising timeline and planning

Fundraising timeline and planning

Investor relationships

Getting introductins to and building relationships with investors is crucial for success. But if you are not a serial founder with a killer reputation, how is it done? I will teach you everything there is to building investor relationships. We will also go through different tactics for building hype around your comany.

Investor relationships

Investor relationships

The art of the start

The most neglected part of the fundraise is the start. The start is where all of your hard work during the preparation phase bares fruit and where you lay the foundation for an effective and efficient execution phase. Getting the start right is crucial - I will teach you how! The worst way to start your fundrtaise is with cold outreach, but if there is no other option, let me teach you how to do it succesfully.

The art of the start

The art of the start

The pitch

In a dedicated module we dive really deep into pitching. Using hundreds of examples from reall life pitch dckes I will teach you how to build and deliver a killer pitch deck. Not only that, I will provide you with a swath of relevant tools to use.

The pitch

The pitch

Running a killer process

One of the hardest, most delicate and crucial parts of the fundraise is when you are out there pitching, hustling and running the actual fundaising process. We will go through two differnt strategies, talk about how to drive investor FOMO and I will teach you some dirty tricks VCs wish you didn't know.

Running a killer process

Running a killer process

Understand terms and negotiate

Venture capital terms are complex - that's the way investors want it to be. Together we will decode every single term that you need to understand. I will teach you what terms to focus on and which are less important. You will be sinceraley empowered and filled with confidence when you master investor terms. I will also teach you how to negotiate with VCs.

Understand terms and negotiate

Understand terms and negotiate

Actionable summary and next steps

At the end of the course you will be filled with knowledge and confidence. You will have a deep understanding of the entire fundraising process and understand exactly how to progress. In the summary module I will equip you with an actionable template and checklist so that you can go out and start your fundraise asap!

Actionable summary and next steps

Actionable summary and next steps

Course Pricing

Enroll today to get the best pricing. All future course updates are included in your membership.

Seed Round Success

Get access to the entire curriculum & learn at your own pace

€399

one-time fee

What's included:

30 video lessons

10+ hours of content

Lifetime access

All future updates

Enroll today

Course + Coaching

Get access to the curriculum and 2 separate 1:1 sessions with the instructor

€599

one-time fee

What's included:

30 video lessons

10+ hours of content

Lifetime access

All future updates

Two 40-min 1:1 sessions with instructor

Enroll today

Both plans are eligible to 100% money-back guarantee within the first 30 days. For the Course + Coaching plan, the instructor hours should be unused in order to get a refund.

What students say about the course

Some kind words from course graduates

“I have gained repeated value from Axel’s understanding of how venture capitalists think, operate, and make decisions over the years. If you are a founder seeking to raise funds, he is a real asset”

Arielle Kilroy

Co-Founder and CEO Dado

"Looking for a hands on and superb fundraising course? I looked at numerous fundraising courses in the past, and honestly, you only need Seed Round Success. This is also part of the reason we are 150% oversubscribed in our current round."

Wilhelm Hammes

Founder Planted.Green

"This is an excellent course that every early-stage founder should complete before embarking on their fundraising journey. Axel's extensive experience from both sides of the table provides deeply relevant insights. The concluding one-to-one coaching greatly helped me apply the course learnings to our specific fundraising case. The course offers outstanding value for the knowledge gained, which far outweighs the fee."

Axel Trolle-Henckel

Founder and CEO at Payerbee

“I can't recommend this class enough! Thank you for creating The Art of Fundraising and for the invaluable strategy session with you. It's exactly what we need as we prepare for our fundraising journey in the coming months. The course is seven hours of pure magic. The ultimate fundraising guide... It can’t just cost €399.”

Christian Flodén

Founder in stealth mode

The course was absolutely amazing & I learned so much in the process

Russ Hunneman

Founder of Tres Commas

Course Curriculum

Check out the seven modules of the Masterclass

0. Course introduction and background videos

Welcome!
What is venture capital and is it right for you?
Market conditions: Rraising venture capital in 2025
Assignment - are you fundable?
Questions and comments

0. Course introduction and background videos

Welcome!
What is venture capital and is it right for you?
Market conditions: Rraising venture capital in 2025
Assignment - are you fundable?
Questions and comments

0. Course introduction and background videos

Welcome!
What is venture capital and is it right for you?
Market conditions: Rraising venture capital in 2025
Assignment - are you fundable?
Questions and comments

1. Preparation and planning

1.1 - The fundraising timeline and process

1.2 - Timing, milestones and fundraising story

1.3 - Fundraising material, valuation and how much to raise

Material and downloads
Assignment - work on your timeline
Assignment - when and how to start
Assignment - how much to raise
Questions and comments

1. Preparation and planning

1.1 - The fundraising timeline and process

1.2 - Timing, milestones and fundraising story

1.3 - Fundraising material, valuation and how much to raise

Material and downloads
Assignment - work on your timeline
Assignment - when and how to start
Assignment - how much to raise
Questions and comments

1. Preparation and planning

1.1 - The fundraising timeline and process

1.2 - Timing, milestones and fundraising story

1.3 - Fundraising material, valuation and how much to raise

Material and downloads
Assignment - work on your timeline
Assignment - when and how to start
Assignment - how much to raise
Questions and comments

2. Investor relationships

2.1 - Investor relationship basics

2.2 - How to build investor relationships

2.3 - Creating investor buzz - Intro + Active mode tactic

2.4 - Creating investor buzz - Stealth mode tactic

Assignment - relationship building
Assignment - work on visibility
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

2. Investor relationships

2.1 - Investor relationship basics

2.2 - How to build investor relationships

2.3 - Creating investor buzz - Intro + Active mode tactic

2.4 - Creating investor buzz - Stealth mode tactic

Assignment - relationship building
Assignment - work on visibility
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

2. Investor relationships

2.1 - Investor relationship basics

2.2 - How to build investor relationships

2.3 - Creating investor buzz - Intro + Active mode tactic

2.4 - Creating investor buzz - Stealth mode tactic

Assignment - relationship building
Assignment - work on visibility
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

3. Starting the fundraise

3.1 - Starting the fundraise

Assignment - art of the start
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

3. Starting the fundraise

3.1 - Starting the fundraise

Assignment - art of the start
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

3. Starting the fundraise

3.1 - Starting the fundraise

Assignment - art of the start
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

4. The pitch

4.1 - Introduction to the pitch

4.2 - How to structure your pitch like a pro

4.3 - Pitch deck building blocks pt 1

4.4 - Pitch deck building blocks pt 2

4.5 - Pitch deck building blocks 3

4.6 - Pitch deck building blocks pt 4

4.7 - Pitch deck building blocks 5

4.8 - How to run the pitch meeting

Assignment - the pitch
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

4. The pitch

4.1 - Introduction to the pitch

4.2 - How to structure your pitch like a pro

4.3 - Pitch deck building blocks pt 1

4.4 - Pitch deck building blocks pt 2

4.5 - Pitch deck building blocks 3

4.6 - Pitch deck building blocks pt 4

4.7 - Pitch deck building blocks 5

4.8 - How to run the pitch meeting

Assignment - the pitch
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

4. The pitch

4.1 - Introduction to the pitch

4.2 - How to structure your pitch like a pro

4.3 - Pitch deck building blocks pt 1

4.4 - Pitch deck building blocks pt 2

4.5 - Pitch deck building blocks 3

4.6 - Pitch deck building blocks pt 4

4.7 - Pitch deck building blocks 5

4.8 - How to run the pitch meeting

Assignment - the pitch
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

5. The execution phase

5.1 - Understanding the VC mind

5.2 - Assessing founders, how angels think, urgency and momentum

5.3 - Running a parallel process

5.4 - Running a rolling closing

Assignment - the execution
Questions and comments

5. The execution phase

5.1 - Understanding the VC mind

5.2 - Assessing founders, how angels think, urgency and momentum

5.3 - Running a parallel process

5.4 - Running a rolling closing

Assignment - the execution
Questions and comments

5. The execution phase

5.1 - Understanding the VC mind

5.2 - Assessing founders, how angels think, urgency and momentum

5.3 - Running a parallel process

5.4 - Running a rolling closing

Assignment - the execution
Questions and comments

6. Signing and closing

6.1 - Investor term basics

6.2 - Understanding investment terms

6.3 - Negotiating and closing the deal

Assignment - the terms
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

6. Signing and closing

6.1 - Investor term basics

6.2 - Understanding investment terms

6.3 - Negotiating and closing the deal

Assignment - the terms
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

6. Signing and closing

6.1 - Investor term basics

6.2 - Understanding investment terms

6.3 - Negotiating and closing the deal

Assignment - the terms
Material and downloads
Questions and comments

7. Course summary

7. Course summary and fundraising checklist

Material and downloads
Questions and comments

7. Course summary

7. Course summary and fundraising checklist

Material and downloads
Questions and comments

7. Course summary

7. Course summary and fundraising checklist

Material and downloads
Questions and comments

Schedule a Call Today

The best way to find out what solution is best for you is to schedule a free 15-minute consultation. Together we will go through your fundraise and develop an actionable way forward.

Hi 👋 I'm Axel - your dedicated fundraising advisor

I’ve spent nearly two decades in tech—as a former partner at a tier-one VC firm, an active angel investor, and a hands-on advisor to dozens of startups. I know how VCs think, what they look for, and how to help founders close successful rounds. I’ve also raised capital for my own ventures, so I understand both sides of the table. This masterclass brings you the real-world insights, strategies, and empathy only someone who’s been there can offer.