What Investors Are Actually Trying to Understand in a Founder Interview
By Amra Naidoo
We’re recruiting for our next batch of startups and for us that means investing hundreds of hours into conversations with founders. And after doing this for more than 8 years, one thing has remained consistent about this process: most founders completely misunderstand the purpose of investor meetings. Maybe tv shows or social media or just common myths about the process have perpetuated it, but I really want to shout it from the rooftops that this is not a one-way conversation where you pitch, talk for ages and then we decide yes or no. It should ALWAYS be a proper conversation.
So I regularly get asked about the investor pitch. Someone recently asked me whether they should prepare a five-minute pitch for us. I was like... woah... Five minutes is AGES. And no. No you should not. We typically only allocate ten minutes for initial founder meetings. Whaaaat? Only 10 minutes? We can tell pretty quickly whether what you're working on could fit within our investment thesis in 10 minutes. If an investor takes much more of your time for that initial meeting, then, in my opinion, one of two things is probably happening: either they're wasting your time, or they're already very interested and there's a good chance of taking the investment process forward. So if we only have ten minutes and you spend five minutes explaining what you're doing, you've already burnt through half of the conversation.
This is also why, at Accelerating Asia, we only allow one-minute pitches. Cue the second point in the conversation when people look at me shocked, “WHAT?!? A 1-minute pitch is so short.” Let me tell you: one minute is actually THE perfect amount of time for a pitch, if it's done well. It gives us just enough information to understand your business, the economics and why you're the person to build it. The point isn't to tell us everything about your business. At this stage, I don't need to know everything that you think I want to know. The rest becomes part of the conversation, because there's often nuance involved. The most interesting threads we want to pull on come from a genuine back and forth. Sometimes it’s a thread you didn’t even think to mention, and that becomes the most interesting part of the deal for us.
And there’s so much going on that we need to take into consideration. You often won't know what those threads are, because you aren't involved in what's happening behind the scenes. You don't know how we're constructing the portfolio, what we've recently learnt about a market, or what might be missing from a cohort. You don’t know how many other founders we’ve spoken to who claim to be solving the same problem. I might want to know how you met your co-founder, why you're solving this problem, or what happened when your monthly active users dropped 40%. What did you do? What did you learn? What did you try, and what are you going to do differently next time? Because there will be a next time when something goes wrong.
And THIS is where the magic happens. Those answers usually tell me more than the pitch. They tell me whether you're genuinely interested in what you're doing, whether you're actively problem-solving and whether you're someone we can work with. They also tell me whether I can introduce you to an investor I know well and trust that you'll take up the introduction, respect their time and do what you say you're going to do.
You’ll also be amazed about what we learn about how you answer our questions. Are you confident? Is it clear that you’re faking it? Are you really defensive about something in particular? Do the cofounders get into an argument and talk over each other? (You wouldn’t believe how many times we’ve seen this happen.) A lot can happen in 10 minutes.
There are often things that we're looking for that are hard to articulate or define under a set of criteria. One of the things we look for in founders is what we call a secret. What do you know that nobody else knows? Maybe you've worked in this space before, felt the problem personally, or spent years understanding the customer. I want to know what makes you the person who sees something here that other people have missed, and whether you care enough about the problem to keep changing the solution. I can pretty much guarantee that every startup in our portfolio today is different from the startup we originally invested in.
It's important for founders to understand why we think this way. We invest early and we run an accelerator programme. We're not expecting a perfect startup, because that is the whole point of an accelerator programme. We already know the house isn't in order. We need you to tell us the actual state of the house, what you've tried, what has failed and what is going well, so we can work out whether we're the right fit to help you get to the next level. One of my pet peeves is when founders hide things because they want to look good for an investor. I understand where that comes from, but if we don't know the real situation, we can't have a useful conversation about it.
If you are building a company in South or Southeast Asia, Cohort 14 applications are open.
We are looking for founders with real insight into a problem, early evidence from the market, and the willingness to be challenged. You do not need a perfect company. You do need to be serious about finding the version that can scale.
So if you're applying to Cohort 14, don't worry about trying to fit the whole company into the first conversation. Give us enough to understand what you're building, then let us have a real conversation about you, the company and what you know.
Apply by 23 August to be included in priority review. Applications will remain open after that date, but later applications will be reviewed only where the selection timetable and team capacity allow.
SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION FOR COHORT 14
Apply by August 23, 2026
US$100,000. 100 days. Up to 10 startups. We back seed to pre-Series A founders solving real problems across South and Southeast Asia.
From an investor perspective, this is also why the accelerator matters. We're not trying to make a decision from a pitch alone. We get to see how founders think, respond and work over time.
We're in final close for Fund II, with more information at acceleratingasia.com/investors.
Fund 2 is in final close.
Start with the fund deck. Choose your path at acceleratingasia.com/investors and we'll send access.
Ask a question first. Email team@acceleratingasia.com and we'll get back to you.
Ready to invest? Book a call here with a partner.
See the portfolio. Check out acceleratingasia.com/portfolio. Filter by country, sector, or fundraising status. Request an introduction directly to any CEO.
For investors and partners. Choose your path at acceleratingasia.com/investors. Whether you're looking to co-invest in individual startups or invest in the fund, the next step is there.
* Carta Q4 2025 VC Fund Performance. US benchmarks used as Asian fund comparables remain limited.
About Accelerating Asia Ventures
Accelerating Asia Ventures is an independent accelerator and venture capital fund investing in early-stage startups across Southeast and South Asia. Founded by operators, the organisation is committed to supporting founders with capital, credibility, and a long-term community.
For interviews, data requests, or portfolio introductions, contact: team@acceleratingasia.com
