Built to grow?
Pitch to the operators in your region. RAIN chapters present a small number of vetted, growth-oriented companies to their members each year. Members invest their own capital and bring the operating experience, customers and networks that come with it.
- Yes if you're raising early-stage capital for a company that can scale beyond its town, with a team that can execute and a plan for the money.
- Yes if you're registered in rural Colorado, even if your customers are global.
- No if you're a Main Street or lifestyle business, need a grant or a loan, or aren't yet sure what you'd do with investment.
Not sure? Ask your chapter chair. They'll tell you honestly and point you to other resources if RAIN isn't the fit.
Capital is the headline. It isn't the whole story.
A real audience
Accredited investors in your region who have built companies themselves, qualified by the chapter chair, in a room that exists to invest, not to applaud.
A Local Lead
A member who has reviewed your company, champions it to the chapter and stays involved after the check. Experienced founders say this is the part that matters most.
Network reach
Companies that raise from one chapter can be syndicated to others and to the whole network, so a valley of investors becomes a state of them.
From application to pitch
Who should apply to pitch?+
Founders building growth-oriented companies with a credible path to returning investor capital. Your company should be registered in a rural Colorado county (chapter regions are listed on this site), though your customers can be anywhere. We look for capable teams, a clear market opportunity and a thoughtful capitalization strategy: you know how much you're raising, why, and what it gets you to.
Who should not apply?+
RAIN is not a grant program, a small-business loan fund or a place to raise money for a lifestyle or Main Street business. It is not an open application for funding. If you're not sure your company fits, ask your chapter chair before applying; they'll tell you honestly and can point you to other resources.
What will I need to provide?+
To be presented to a chapter you'll need a Local Lead (a chapter member who has reviewed your company and is willing to champion it) and a baseline diligence package: pitch deck, financials and projections, cap table, formation documents, founder agreements, market analysis and an organized data room. The RAIN platform gives you a data room to manage this yourself.
How does the process work?+
Apply through your chapter. The chair reviews the application and, if it fits, connects you with a Local Lead. Once your diligence package is complete and the Local Lead is on board, you're scheduled to present at a chapter pitch event. After the event, interested members signal interest through the platform and diligence continues from there.
What happens after I pitch?+
Members invest individually or through an SPV that Startup Colorado can administer. Companies that raise from a chapter can be syndicated to other chapters and to the whole network. You also gain a group of experienced operators in your region who now know your business.
Ready?
Pick your chapter and apply. The chair will be in touch.