We encourage founders to send monthly updates, not because it’s a formality, but because it’s effective.

 

Regular updates are helpful in three ways.

• First, they build trust through consistent, honest communication.
• They provide investors with a clear way to support you.
• And they create leverage when you’re raising funds, hiring employees, or forming partnerships.

This isn’t a theory. Startups that send regular investor updates are twice as likely to raise follow-on funding. Y Combinator also makes this a default expectation – because they’ve seen how it compounds over time.

 

And yes, future investors will absolutely read your past updates. They show how you execute, communicate, and problem-solve. That’s often more valuable than a polished deck.

 

Here are good practices how to write it:

• Keep it to one email: clear structure, no fluff – just facts
• Be specific: “40% improvement in accuracy” > “significant improvement”
• Use numbers: “€50K ARR contract” > “substantial contract”
• Keep consistent: same format, same metrics, every month
• Make asks actionable: “Hospitals using Epic in Germany” > “healthcare intros”
• Stay honest: include the hard parts, not just the wins

Investors are for the tough parts too: updates keep the right people informed and ready to help.

 

Feel free to use the template below and adapt it to your needs. For more inspiration and examples of investor templates, check the list of investor update templates from well-known investors/accelerators.

Monthly investor update template

Highlights

[Quick summary of what went well. Use bullet points and concise sentences.]

 

Examples:

• [Closed first paid pilot with Fortune 500 company worth €75K]
• [Alpha version of AI module launched, 40% improvement in accuracy]
• [Extended runway by 4 months via strategic grant]
• [First batch of X devices manufactured and shipped]

Lowlights

[Quick summary of what didn’t go well. Use bullet points and concise sentences.]

 

Examples:

• [Delay in hiring backend engineer, pushes roadmap for first PoC delivery by ~3 weeks]
• [Two pilots for X and Y put on hold by the clients – working on onboarding fixes]
• [CE MDR submission delayed ca. X weeks – validator requested design doc update]

Metrics & Financials

[Report 2-5 metrics that matter most for your stage and business]

 

Examples:

• [ARR/MRR or Revenue: €X,XXX (vs €X,XXX last month, +XX% MoM)]
• [New clients/pilots: XX / €X,XXX MRR]
• [Churn: XX% / -€X,XXX MRR]
• [Burn: €XX,XXX/month]
• [Runway: XX months]
• [Trials enrolled: XX/YYY patients]

Product/Tech Progress

[Summarize what was built, shipped or validated and why it matters.]

 

Examples:

• [Released v2 of onboarding flow – cut setup time by 40%]
• [Version XX released with feature X and X – unlocks 2 enterprise pilots with X and X]
• [Hardware prototype passed electrical safety tests]
• [Firmware OTA update system in place – enables remote diagnostics]

Customers/GTM

[Updates on customer traction, go-to-market activities, feedback, or validation. Be specific.]

 

Examples:

• [Signed two new pilot clinics in X]
  [Expansion discussion started with X after initial success]
  [Pipeline: generated XX qualified leads, €XX,XXX total deal value]

Team

[Updates on team composition, hiring plans and needs]

 

Examples:

• [Number of FTEs: XXX]
• [New Key Account Manager for DACH joined (linkedin)]
• [Senior Python Developer fired due to low performance]
• [Open Positions: Performance Marketing Manager (link do job board)]

Challenges

[Share the top 1-2 challenges and what you’re doing about them. Be honest and constructive.]

 

Examples:

• [Hiring firmware team has been slow – launched referral program + external recruiter]
• [Missed internal goal for PoC readiness – focused engineering on stability over features]
• [Low engagement from free trial users – running interviews to identify friction points]
• [FDA pre-submission questions broader than expected — working with regulatory consultant to prepare full response]

Asks

[Max 3. make them precise and actionable.]

 

Examples:

• [Feedback on updated pricing tiers for mid-market clients]
• [Feedback on our fundraising deck, especially slides on TAM and unit economics]
• [Intro to CISOs at mid-size financial services companies using Okta]
• [Intro to hospitals running cardiac diagnostics in DACH region]

Next 30 Days

[What are you aiming to achieve before the next update? Be clear and specific.]

 

Examples:

• [Secure and schedule at least 5 investor meetings (targeting deeptech funds)]
• [Finalize trial protocol and lock enrollment start date with ethics board]
• [Publish 2 customer case studies]
• [Finish ML model retraining for v1 release]
• [Complete deployment of the pilot for XX and YY]
• [Secure LOI from Tier 1 customer in MedTech segment]