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Your time is precious and so is ours.  That is why our process minimizes how much work you need to do to get your documents in front of us while also ensuring that we get short, concise documentation (we have a lot of submissions to read each month).

Document Submission Requirements

  • Format - Must be in either .PDF or .DOC, must not be encrypted or password protected.
  • Public - In order to properly evaluate an opportunity RVI shares submitted documents with trusted advisors, domain experts, and other angel groups. For this reason RVI does not sign non-disclosure agreements. Entrepreneurs should therefore ensure that their documentation does not contain secret or proprietary information.
  • Length - Executive Summaries should be no more than two pages. 

Please note that there is no fee to apply to the River Valley Investors.

How to Submit Your Documentation 

  1. Review our criteria and process (do not skip this or any other step)
  2. Submit an application online   (If we recieve your application before the second Wednesday of the month it will be screened that same month, otherwise it will be screened the following month.)

If you don't hear back from us in two weeks then please email us at contact_us@rivervalleyinvestors.com to inquire on your status.  If you don't hear back from us within a month then the Internet probably lost someone's email (yours or ours), so please call us at 413-585-9692

Writing Your Executive Summary From Scratch?

If you are about to rewrite your executive summary from scratch anyway, below you will find a template reflecting industry best practices.

  1. Company - Who you are and what stage you are at.  The "Quick Description" from the cover sheet often fits well here.
  2. Need – Explain the problem(s) your customers face.
  3. Solution – How you solve this problem. Don't tell us any technical details, just tell us the same way you would tell your non-tech-savvy grandparents. Is your solution patentable (or patented) or is it otherwise protectable by law?
  4. Market – Tell us how many dollars feel the need you described above. If you cannot detail the dollar value, tell us how many people feel the problem.  
  5. Competition - How are your solution's benefits superior to the competition? Who else is competing with you? How big are they?
  6. Business Model – Explain how you make money. Do you sell the product to wholesalers for a flat fee? Do you charge a subscription? Do you split revenues with a partner?
  7. Financials - Give us a grid with your favorite 3-5 variables charted over the next 5-7 years.
  8. Exit Strategy - How much of a return on investment should investors expect, in what timeframe, and by which method (IPO, acquisition, dividends, etc.)? What evidence do you have to support this claim?
  9. Deliverables (or Milestones) - What are the next 3-5 most important steps for your company's success, when do you anticipate accomplishing them, and how will you measure success? Please include each round of funding as a milestone.
  10. Current Round - How much funding are you seeking in this round?  How will this funding build significant value?  What do investors get in return?
  11. Team - Who are the smart, experienced, credible people you have assembled to execute your business plan?  Who else do you need?