The Deal Flow Playbook for Family Offices and VC Firms

To attract better-fitting deals, a family office or VC firm needs a clear mandate, a short page that says what it invests in and how to reach it, a way to be found by founders and advisers, and a calm, credible presence. This playbook shows each step and keeps privacy in mind.

Step 1: Write your mandate in five lines

Founders, brokers and advisers send deals to people who are clear about what they want. Write down:

1. Sectors you back, and sectors you avoid.
2. Stage (for example pre-seed, seed, growth, buyouts).
3. Cheque size or a range.
4. Geography.
5. What you add beyond money, and what you pass on.

If it takes more than five lines, it is probably too broad.

Step 2: Publish a one-page “What we invest in”

A short public page helps the right opportunities arrive ready to review. Include only what you are comfortable sharing.

• Your mandate in plain words
• The kinds of businesses that are a good fit, with two or three examples (only with permission)
• What you do not do
• How to get in touch, and what to include in a first message
• A line on how fast you usually reply

Family offices often prefer privacy. If so, share the mandate without names or amounts, and keep the contact route simple.

An example of the five lines, for a fictional office:

• Sectors: industrial technology and specialist manufacturing. We pass on consumer apps.
• Stage: profitable businesses with over £2m revenue, and growth rounds.
• Cheque size: £1m to £5m.
• Geography: UK and Ireland.
• We add: board experience and introductions to UK manufacturers.

A sample page for a fictional office. Publish only what you are happy to be public.

Step 3: Make it easy and safe to pitch

A good first contact saves everyone time.

• Ask for a short summary: what the business does, the problem, traction, the ask
• Say how you handle confidential material
• Offer a single email address or short form, not a long questionnaire
• Promise a reply time and keep it
• Explain, in a sentence, how to be considered again later if it is a “not now”

Under UK data protection rules, tell people how you will use the information they send you. A short privacy note on the contact page does that. A simple version: “We use the information you send to review your opportunity and reply. We keep it confidential and do not share it without your permission. Email us to see or delete it.”

Step 4: Be findable by the people who look

Founders and advisers search for investors and ask AI tools. Check what comes back.

Run these searches and note what you see on Google, ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity:

• “family offices investing in [sector] UK”
• “who invests in [sector] at [stage] in the UK”
• “how to pitch [your firm name]”
• “[your firm name] investment focus”

For each one, ask: Are you named? Are the facts right? Who else is named? Then fix the gaps: make your mandate page clear, keep your facts the same everywhere, and make sure your public profiles agree.

Step 5: Build a calm LinkedIn presence for your principals

You do not need to post every day. A steady, thoughtful presence helps founders and advisers feel they know you.

• A clear profile for each principal and key team member
• One post a week or two a month: your view on a sector, a market note, a lesson from the work
• Portfolio news only with the company’s permission
• A short reply habit: thank people, answer questions, stay professional

Step 6: Look after intermediaries

Many direct deals reach investors through networks, advisers, brokers and other investors.

• A short “for advisers and brokers” section that says what you want and how to send it
• A simple way to follow up with people who send you good opportunities
• A note back to everyone who sends something, even if the answer is no

Step 7: Measure it each month

An hour a month is enough.

• How many inbound opportunities arrived, and from where?
• What share fit the mandate?
• How long did it take to reply?
• Did anyone mention the page, a post or an AI answer?

Results build slowly and depend on the market. You are looking for a better fit over time, not a flood.

Privacy checklist

• Nothing public you would not want a competitor, a client or the press to read
• No names, amounts or portfolio details without written permission
• Contact route that does not expose personal numbers
• A privacy notice on any form

Your first week

• Write your five-line mandate
• Draft the “What we invest in” page and decide what stays private
• Run the four searches and save what you find
• Update each principal’s LinkedIn profile
• Set a monthly reminder for the numbers

We help family offices and VC firms with this. See our pages for family offices and venture capital firms, or book a free call.

Cheat sheet

• Mandate in five lines: sectors, stage, cheque size, geography, what you add
• A short “What we invest in” page with only what you are happy to be public
• One contact route, a reply promise and a confidentiality note
• Search for yourself on Google and in AI tools and fix wrong facts
• A calm LinkedIn presence for your principals
• A short note for advisers and brokers on what to send you
• Track inbound by source, fit and time to reply each month

Sources

No outside sources. This playbook is practical advice from our work with clients.