Fundraising School
Fundraising mastery for early-stage founders from CEE - supercharge your game! No new applications are accepted at this time!
Fundraising is frustrating, but it really shouldn’t be. We’ve been in your shoes, and we built Fundraising School to make the journey less painful and a lot more effective. After two successful cohorts, Fundraising School 3.0 is back. This hands-on 4-module bootcamp is built on the real-world insights of 250+ founders and operators. From strategy to investor matchmaking, you’ll get the tools to raise with confidence in Q4 2025.
Still not sure? Here’s what we’ve already delivered (just within 6 months after graduation):
This program is possible thanks to our strategic partners: Investment & Development Agency of Latvia and Investment and Tourism agency of Riga.
🤝 About LIAA
Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) works to increase export and competitiveness of Latvian companies, facilitate foreign investment and implement tourism development and innovation policies. Among its strategic priorities are supporting innovative ideas, turning them into products and businesses, as well as attracting foreign investment to help companies grow.
Supported by:
Who is this designed for?
We strive to accept as many applications as possible but want to make sure that the cohort is similar in terms of business maturity and fundraising outlook. In line with our own focus, we will prioritize applications from Latvia and other CEE countries. This bootcamp will be perfect for you if you are:
Founder profile
First-time founder ready to take on the fundraising journey.
Startup stage
Early-stage tech startup (preferably already incorporated).
Time commitment
Able to commit ~24 hours across September–October.
Fundraising timeline
Planning to raise your first round in Q4 2025 or Q1 2026.
Product readiness
MVP built (or in progress) with first user or client traction.
Pitch materials
You have a pitch deck - at least a solid first version.
By the end of Fundraising School, you will:
Build a solid fundraising strategy tailored to your startup.
1
Receive 1-on-1 expert feedback on your materials.
2
Access plug-and-play templates and learning resources.
3
Polish your elevator pitch and investor intro emails.
4
Join practical sessions with investors and founders.
5
Connect with an active founder community.
6
Refine your pitch deck and messaging.
7
Participate in curated speed-dating with real investors.
8
Walk away ready to fundraise in Q4 2025 with confidence.
9
Timeline & expected commitment
We’re serious about the work we put in and want you to do the same, so we ask all participants to commit a one-off €100 deposit we’ll return to you if you show up. This means:
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100% attendance in webinars & firesides (4/4 sessions)
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Attendance in meet & greet
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25% attendance in open 1-1 sessions (1/4 sessions)
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Pitching in the investor speed-dating session
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Completing the check-in form 5-6 months after graduating the program.
‼️
Timeline
SEPTEMBER 4, 11:59 pm EET – applications close
Submit your application form before the deadline. An automatic filter will immediately review all submissions to assess basic eligibility. Some applications may be waitlisted.
SEPTEMBER 8 – 2nd stage evaluation
Our team will review pitch decks of filtered applicants and select up to 100 founders from all the submissions. You’ll hear from us by Sep 8 if you’re in.
SEPTEMBER 12, 8:00 pm EET – deposit deadline
To confirm your spot, submit the refundable €100 deposit (instructions added in the. This helps us ensure full participation and commitment. Upon receiving the deposit payment, you'll gain access to the participant portal, our WhatsApp community group, as well as other tools.
SEPTEMBER 16 – program launch
We kick off Fundraising School 3.0 with the first live session. Over five weeks, you’ll build your fundraising toolkit, meet mentors, and connect with peers.
OCTOBER 14 – final session
The learning cycle wraps up with your final module and investor prep. But the experience doesn’t end here.
OCTOBER 17 – investor speed-dating
Founders will take part in curated 1-on-1 sessions with active investors and experts from our network, matched based on stage and fit.
OCTOBER 24 – Demo Day & Graduation party
The top 7 startups will pitch live in Riga. All participants are invited to join the celebration in person or tune in via livestream.
MARCH/APRIL 2026 – fundraising check-in
We’ll follow up 6 months later to track your fundraising progress, success stories, and continue supporting your journey. Your deposit payment will be returned in full once you submit the check-in form.
Course modules
Title
Date & time (Riga time)
Module
Instructor(s)
Session type
Understanding fundraising: landscape, fundability & money | Fireside: Frank Sondors (Salesforge)
September 16, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
1. Understanding the fundraising landscape
Diāna Lāce-Davidova
Webinar, Fireside
➔
Meet & greet
September 18, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
1. Understanding the fundraising landscape
Jurģis Kalniņš, Mārtiņš Pjalkovskis
Meet & greet
➔
Finding the right investors & building your outreach plan | Fireside: Adam Spector (Chore)
September 23, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
2. Fundraising go-to-market strategy
Suhas Ghante
Webinar, Fireside
➔
Exclusive: Automate anything - from tasks to full-scale AI Agents w/ Bertram Lutz (Make)
September 24, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
Exclusive guest session
Bertram Lutz
Exclusive guest session
➔
Pitch practice with Suhas & Diana | Module AMA
September 25, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
2. Fundraising go-to-market strategy
Suhas Ghante, Diāna Lāce-Davidova
Workshop
➔
Pitching with impact: deck design, delivery & follow-up | Fireside: Kristaps Berzinskis
September 30, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
3. Crafting the pitch deck and delivering the pitch
Suhas Ghante
Webinar, Fireside
➔
Pitch practice with Suhas & Diana | Module AMA
October 2, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
3. Crafting the pitch deck and delivering the pitch
Suhas Ghante, Diāna Lāce-Davidova
Workshop
➔
Sealing the deal: negotiation, closing & beyond | Fireside: Mikus Opelts (Giraffe360)
October 7, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
4. Finalizing your fundraising journey
Diāna Lāce-Davidova
Webinar, Fireside
➔
Pitch practice with Suhas & Diana | Module AMA
October 9, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
4. Finalizing your fundraising journey
Diāna Lāce-Davidova, Suhas Ghante
Workshop
➔
Pitch practice with Suhas & Diana | Module AMA
October 14, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
4. Finalizing your fundraising journey
Diāna Lāce-Davidova, Suhas Ghante
Workshop
➔
Speed dating
October 17, 2025 2:00 PM → 4:00 PM
5. Investor speed-dating
Jurģis Kalniņš
Investor speed-dating
➔
Exclusive: From 0–1M in Sales: Outbound meets AI w/ Eoin Mcguinness (Hubspot)
October 21, 2025 5:00 PM → 6:30 PM
Exclusive guest session
Eoin Mcguinness
Exclusive guest session
➔
Demo day & graduation party
October 24, 2025 5:00 PM → 11:59 PM
5. Investor speed-dating
Jurģis Kalniņš
Demo day
➔
Meet the instructors
Suhas Ghante
2x 500 Startups alum, 3x founder, and VC advisor.
Led fundraising efforts for 100+ startups in 13 countries.
Experience at Innovaccer ($3.2B valuation) and YC-backed startups.
Can help with fundraising, GTM, and investor storytelling.
Diana Lace Davidova
BizOps & Finance Lead at Whimsical ($30M funding).
Spent 5+ years in VC (Superangel & Overkill Ventures), investing in 40+ startups.
Co-founder of Global Shapers Riga, powered by the World Economic Forum.
Can help with financial operations, fundraising strategies, and investor relations.
Throughout the program, participants engage directly with founders, investors, and operators from companies like Vimeo ($450M), Printify ($54M), Pandadoc ($51M), Pipedrive ($90M), Bolt ($1.3B), Apollo ($151M), Bird ($783M), Shopify ($122M), Printful ($130M), Twilio ($614M), Veriff ($192.3M), Wise ($1.3B), Interactio ($30M), Vinted ($562.3M), NordVPN ($100M), and Hubspot ($100.5M) — through fireside sessions, speed-dating, guest-lectures etc.
Frequently asked
questions
Got questions? We’ve answered the most common ones below - from who the course is for, how it works, what it costs (spoiler: it’s free if you complete it), and what support you’ll get along the way. Still unsure? Drop us a line at marketing@badideas.fund.