Raising your angel round is a huge milestone, but it’s just the beginning.

That first capital should come with something far more valuable than money: access to people who help you move faster, think sharper, and build smarter.Every help counts at the earliest stage, as this is where you’re most susceptible to failure.

At Openseed VC, we are operators. We write the first checks into experienced operators and surround them with an operator network built to support from zero to one. But beyond the money, what should you expect from your first check investors, and how do you unlock that value?

Here are five specific ways your angel investors can add meaningful support early on:

1. Make the Most of Their Network

This one’s obvious. Your angels know people. That’s one of their superpowers. Tap into that whether it’s for:

• Warm intros to other angels or institutional investors
• Intros to high-quality talent who could become early team members
• Subject matter experts who’ve done what you’re trying to do and can offer advice

Be specific. Instead of “Do you know any investors?”, try “Is there anyone in your network you think would be interested in investing alongside you?” Go one step further: rummage through their LinkedIn and identify three people you’d like to be introduced to.

Make it easy. Share a blurb with them, and include in that blurb that they’ve already invested. That social proof goes a long way.

2. Use Them as a Go-To-Market Sparring Partner

Founders often wrestle with early GTM decisions: pricing, channels, positioning, messaging. A great angel isn’t just a supporter—they’re someone who challenges your thinking and pressure-tests your strategy.

At Openseed, we’ve jumped on calls to spar with founders on these questions, offering feedback from our own operating experience or looping in domain experts from our network.

Note: this works best when your angels have domain expertise who are entrepreneurs or operators, in the area you’re sparring on. This is where operator-angels or investor-operators are a huge plus.

3. Backchannel with Other Investors

Experienced angels have been in the ecosystem for a while. They know who moves fast, who drags out due diligence, and who can be difficult post-investment.

When you’re raising, they can help you cut through the noise and backchannel with VCs—even if you’ve already approached a fund directly.

A nudge from a respected angel to a VC can go a long way and help move things along the process. They can also help you prioritize which investors to focus on. That saves time and helps you build a smart, aligned cap table.

4. Get the “Unspoken” Investor Truths

There’s a lot founders aren’t told, like how your deck really reads to investors, whether your traction story is landing, or if there’s a pattern-matching mental model working against you that you’re not even aware of.

Great angels will tell you what others won’t. Use them to review your pitch, refine your narrative, or run mock investor calls. Honest feedback now can help you avoid painful missteps later.

5. Land Customers (and Insights)

Some angels may be potential customers themselves, or know people who are. Even if they aren’t, they can often get you in the door for feedback conversations or pilot programs.

At this stage, every insight matters. Your angels can help you talk to the right people and shape your product around real needs, not assumptions.

Again, LinkedIn is your friend, are there potential customers your angels are connected to? Give them a list of three people and share a blurb to make the intro easy.

The Openseed Perspective

We’ve seen this model work across our portfolio. We’ve sparred with founders on GTM strategies, made intros to angels who ended up investing, and connected teams with pre-seed funds that later led their rounds.

Our operator network has helped with hiring—sitting on final interview panels—jumped into product feedback calls, and reviewed decks to get founders ready for their next raise.

At Openseed, we invest at the angel round stage in experienced operators. We bring a network of operators and builders who know how to move from idea to traction, supporting you before you raise your first institutional round.

If you’re raising your angel round, think beyond the check. Your company is at its most expensive stage, make sure your investors are working for you.

Activate your angels. Ask for help. That’s how you turn capital into momentum.

Till Next Time!

Maria