you've been told you need to be "fundable"

But how do you become fundable when you're still figuring it out?

The truth is: the early stage is foggy.
You're holding a half-formed idea, big feelings, and an empty wallet - and it can feel like no one's coming to help.

That's where First Raise begins - right at the start.

Two months ago, I raised Ksh. 160,000 (USD 1,230) for my startup without a pitch-deck, and before I had sold anything - all I did was get clear on what I was building, and speak about it to the right people. That was my first raise.

You don't need to perform, you only need to get in motion.

First Raise is a self-paced toolkit that gets you moving now - with simple exercises, prompts and audio reflections from real raises (including mine).

My name is Anne Gichuki, and I am the founder of First Raise.

I am a multi-hyphenate creative from Nairobi, Kenya. My professional career has been coloured by community work, creative curation, and most recently, Venture Capital, finance and capital access.

I believe that Africa's brightest builders, artists and community organisers deserve to access funding for their projects. I know the swirl of uncertainty and the ache to create when funding seems to be elusive. 

Let's get over that hill. ⚡