Ask HN: How are founders finding investors without warm intros in 2025?

It feels like getting investor intros is still one of the biggest bottlenecks for early-stage founders.

I’ve seen countless threads saying “you need warm intros” - but in reality, not everyone has that network on day one. Cold emails and DMs often go unread, and accelerator “investor lists” feel outdated or generic.

So I’m curious:

1. How are you finding and reaching out to investors without existing connections?

2. Have any particular strategies, tools, or outreach methods worked for you recently?

3. Is personalization or timing more important in getting actual replies?

Would love to hear what’s been working (or not) in 2025’s fundraising environment