Read this first, the honest guardrails
I'm not a lawyer or a licensed financial advisor. Before you accept a single dinar or dollar from anyone, get a startup/securities lawyer in the jurisdiction where you'll raise. Taking money from investors is a regulated activity everywhere.
Do NOT build a deposit scheme, or your own pooled "fund" where people put money in your bank and you promise them returns. That is a Ponzi / unlicensed collective-investment scheme. It is fraud, it is illegal in Iraq/KRI and everywhere, and with family in government it would end your career and theirs.
The good news: your real goal, pool many investors' money and show them transparent reports, is fully achievable with legal structures (SPV / syndicate, equity crowdfunding, and an investor-reporting dashboard). See §6. Use those.
0 The positioning, the exact story we tell
Open every pitch, page and conversation with this narrative, in this order. It is all true, which is why it works. The full version in Kurdish (Sorani and Kurmanji), Arabic and English lives at /raise/positioning.
- One dataset, two brands. We hold the data on Kurdish businesses everywhere. Inside Kurdistan: Kurdify. Outside, for the diaspora in Canada, the US and Europe: KurdConnect. One engine, two markets.
- Real scale, growing continuously. 10,800+ scraped and enriched businesses, 228,000+ Google reviews, 12 cities, and the pipeline keeps adding more at near-zero cost. Always quote the live numbers from /api/stats.
- The mission. Kurds have never had proper digital infrastructure: no Yelp, no Stripe, thin Google coverage. Kurdify is the platform and digital infrastructure for Kurds, at home and worldwide.
- The founder and the marketing edge, introduced immediately. Siavash: a developer since a young age, now full-stack, shipping an entire platform with Kavalsia's AI-accelerated Nexus engineering system. Behind him, Kavalsia the agency: 50+ businesses served and over $100M in marketing and development spend for US, UK and Canadian companies. Marketing is the unfair advantage.
- The product today. Every business gets its own page with its Google reviews and complete information; events setup and ticket sales; an influencer program with levels; marketplaces with world-grade design and technology, with AI woven in for insights and learning about the market.
- Offers and promotions, the Groupon part. A scoring system plus discounts: points become coupons redeemed by QR at verified businesses. Similar to what Groupon proved with offers and promotions, but fueled by an in-platform points economy, so it retains users without burning merchants.
- The ecosystem strategy. Give as much free value as possible to people and businesses, through the latest features and technologies we have been building for businesses since 2020. Free verification, free pages, free tools; paid visibility on top.
- The endgame. Points become a financial rail: a bank partnership lets the diaspora move money into Kurdistan through points, up to buying property, a car or anything at home. Stated as vision and roadmap; cash-out keeps its own schedule and is never promised early.
1 How startup investment actually works
You sell a slice of the company (equity) for cash. Valuation = what the whole company is worth today; if Kurdify is valued at $4M and someone invests $1M, they own 20%. Dilution = your % shrinks each time you sell equity, so the goal is to raise enough while giving up as little as possible. You raise in stages (grants → angel → seed → Series A), each at a higher valuation. Non-dilutive money (grants, cloud credits, revenue) costs 0% equity, max it out first.
2 The instruments you can offer
Use SAFEs for your first money, short, standard, founder-friendly. Non-dilutive sources cost 0% equity.
| Instrument | What it is | Equity now | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grant / prize | Free money, no ownership strings | 0% | Always, do first |
| Cloud credits | Free hosting & AI (AWS/Google/Azure) | 0% | Cut burn now |
| Revenue-based financing | Cash repaid as a % of revenue | 0% | Once revenue is steady |
| SAFE | Invest now, converts to shares at your next round (YC standard) | Deferred | Early rounds, most founder-friendly |
| Convertible note | Like a SAFE but it's debt with interest | Deferred | When investors want protection |
| Priced equity round | Agree a valuation and sell shares now | Immediate | Seed / Series A with a lead VC |
The two knobs on a SAFE are the valuation cap and the discount. A higher cap = you keep more equity.
3 Keeping the deal in your favour (raise a lot, give little)
This is legitimate, every good founder prices their strong hand. You are not being unfair; you're not giving away control cheaply.
- SAFE with a high valuation cap. Your traction justifies a strong cap, a $5-8M cap means a $500k angel converts to only ~6-10% later, not 20%.
- Raise only what the next 18 months need (with buffer). Over-raising = over-dilution.
- Sell ~10-20% per round, never more early. Give away 40% at seed and you lose control by Series A.
- Keep control: avoid board seats, veto rights and 2x liquidation preferences for small cheques. Standard 1x non-participating is fine.
- Run a round, not a negotiation: "raising $X on a $Y cap, closing in 6 weeks" makes investors compete for allocation.
- Founder shares with extra votes (via the holdco in §4) let you raise cash and keep voting control.
4 In-Kurdistan vs. outside investors, the entity problem
This is the most important structural decision: it decides who can legally fund you and how.
Investors inside Kurdistan / Iraq
They can invest into your Iraqi/KRI company (LLC) directly, in IQD or USD, via a local share purchase or a locally-adapted SAFE. Family, local businesspeople and diaspora Kurds are your fastest, warmest money. Paper every cheque with a KRI lawyer and keep it on the cap table.
Investors outside Kurdistan (VCs, international angels, diaspora)
International funds will not wire into an Iraqi LLC. The standard fix is a holding company in an investor-friendly jurisdiction that owns your Iraqi operating company: Delaware C-Corp (best for US money/VCs), UAE, ADGM/DIFC (closest to home, Gulf investors, English law, often your best fit), or a UK Ltd.
5 The investor dashboard & reporting
The dashboard where investors see their stake and a report is legitimate and smart, as investor relations for people who already invested through a legal instrument. It is not a place where the public "deposits" money for promised returns.
6 Pooling many investors, the legal way
Why not run your own private "fund"
Collecting money from many people into your account and promising returns = an unlicensed fund / a Ponzi. Illegal, uninsurable, and unforgivable with government family. Use these regulated structures that reach the same outcome, one pot of many small investors, legally:
a) SPV / Syndicate recommended
A Special Purpose Vehicle pools many investors and appears as one clean line on your cap table. A lead runs it; everyone else is passive. This is "pool funding" done legally.
b) Equity crowdfunding many small investors
Regulated platforms let hundreds invest small amounts legally, with compliance handled. Diaspora Kurds are a perfect audience, but always through a platform, never your own bank account.
7 Grants & non-dilutive money (start here, 0% equity)
Kurdistan / Iraq
Accelerators & competitions (MENA + global)
Cloud & AI credits (take all, 0% equity)
- Company legal name + country of incorporation
- Website: kurdify.app · founder name & email
- 1-2 line description: "Kurdistan business directory, marketplace & AI assistant"
- Stage / funding to date · a card for identity verification (not charged)
- Tip: the UAE/Delaware holdco makes verification & billing smoother than an Iraqi entity. On Google's form, emphasise the AI product to aim for the $350k tier.
Development finance (bigger, later, via the holdco)
8 Angel investors & networks
Angels write the first real cheques ($10k-$250k). Warm intros beat cold outreach, use Five One Labs, KAPITA and your own network first. Diaspora Kurds abroad are your natural first backers; bundle them into one SPV (§6a).
9 Venture capital funds (Seed / Series A)
Most want the UAE/Delaware holdco (§4). Approach after grants, angels and stronger revenue.
10 Templates & documents
Monthly investor update (copy/paste)
Subject: Kurdify, [Month] update TL;DR: [the single most important thing, one line] Metrics (vs last month): - Businesses listed: X (+Y) - Reviews: X (+Y) - Signups / MAU: X (+Y) - Revenue (MRR): $X (+Y%) - Runway: N months Wins: [ship / deal / press] Risks: [be honest, investors trust founders who share problems] Asks: intro to [person] · feedback on [decision] Cash: $X · burn $Y/mo Thanks, [name]
One-line SAFE ask (outreach)
We're raising $[amount] on a YC post-money SAFE at a $[cap] cap to fund [mobile app, credit economy, growth] for 12-18 months. Live: 10,800+ businesses, 223k+ reviews, 12 cities, revenue on. Deck + data room on request. Closing [date].
11 Using government / family connections, cleanly
Connections are an advantage for access, not favours, especially with family in government:
- Good: intros to development programs, public innovation funds, SME grants, ministry digitisation projects, and development-finance institutions (IFC, EBRD, UNDP, GIZ).
- Good: Kurdify as a legitimate public-private vendor (business registry, tourism directory, jobs portal), revenue + credibility.
- Avoid: anything that looks like a public official steering public money to a family business, undisclosed conflicts, or "guaranteed" contracts. It's illegal, it blows up publicly, and it taints an otherwise fundable company. Disclose relationships; compete on merit.
12 Recommended path for Kurdify
- Now (0% equity): take Google/AWS/Microsoft credits; apply to Five One Labs & KAPITA; enter Hult Prize / MITEF; chase 1-2 grants. Cut burn, add proof.
- Set the structure: incorporate a UAE (ADGM/DIFC) or Delaware holdco owning Kurdify KRI, before international money. Get a startup lawyer.
- Angel / pre-seed on a SAFE: raise on a high cap, bundle diaspora + local angels into one SPV (Odin). Sell ~10-15%.
- Optional community round (Republic) to turn Kurdish users/diaspora into owners, great for mission + marketing.
- Seed with a MENA VC (500 Global, Wamda, BECO, Global Ventures, Shorooq) once revenue is stronger, higher valuation, less dilution.
- Investor dashboard + monthly updates from day one. Transparency compounds into your next round.
13 Your ready-to-use deal package (at a $6.5M cap)
Market-value framing for the brand today: ~$6-7M. Below uses a $6.5M post-money valuation cap on a YC SAFE. This is a fill-sheet + reference, download the official YC doc and have a lawyer finalise it before anyone signs.
A) One-page term sheet / deal summary
| Term | Value |
|---|---|
| Instrument | YC Post-Money SAFE, Valuation Cap only (no discount) |
| Company (issuer) | Kurdify holding company, e.g. Kurdify Technologies (Delaware C-Corp or ADGM/DIFC), owning Kurdify KRI |
| Post-money valuation cap | $6,500,000 |
| Round target | $[e.g. 500,000] (raise only what 18 months needs) |
| Minimum cheque | $[e.g. 10,000] |
| Discount | None (cap-only), or add 15-20% if an investor pushes |
| Pro-rata rights | Only for cheques ≥ $50,000 (keeps small cheques clean) |
| Board / control | No board seats, no veto rights at this stage, founders keep control |
| Use of funds | Mobile app launch, credit economy, growth, first hires |
| Closing | Rolling (sign + wire as investors commit); target close $[date] |
B) SAFE fill-sheet (copy these exact values into the official YC SAFE)
Get the editable file: ycombinator.com/documents → "Post-Money Safe, Valuation Cap Only". Fill:
Company: [Kurdify holdco legal name], a [Delaware corp / ADGM company] Investor: [Investor legal name] Purchase Amount: $[e.g. 50,000] Post-Money Valuation Cap: $6,500,000 Discount Rate: N/A (Valuation-Cap-only version) Date: [signing date] State of Governing Law: [Delaware / ADGM] Company signatory: [Your name], [Title, e.g. CEO] Everything else in the YC document stays as-is (standard clauses).
E) Full SAFE, ready to present
THIS INSTRUMENT AND ANY SECURITIES ISSUABLE PURSUANT HERETO HAVE NOT BEEN REGISTERED UNDER THE U.S. SECURITIES ACT OF 1933, AS AMENDED, OR UNDER ANY STATE SECURITIES LAWS. THESE SECURITIES MAY NOT BE OFFERED, SOLD OR OTHERWISE TRANSFERRED EXCEPT AS PERMITTED UNDER SUCH LAWS PURSUANT TO REGISTRATION OR AN EXEMPTION THEREFROM.
[COMPANY LEGAL NAME]
SAFE
(Simple Agreement for Future Equity)
THIS CERTIFIES THAT in exchange for the payment by [Investor legal name] (the "Investor") of $[Purchase Amount] (the "Purchase Amount") on or about [Date], [Company legal name], a [Delaware corporation / ADGM company] (the "Company"), issues to the Investor the right to certain shares of the Company's Capital Stock, subject to the terms set out below.
The "Post-Money Valuation Cap" is $6,500,000. See Section 2 for certain additional defined terms.
1. Events
(a) Equity Financing. If there is an Equity Financing before this Safe terminates, on the initial closing of such Equity Financing, this Safe will automatically convert into the number of shares of Safe Preferred Stock equal to the Purchase Amount divided by the Conversion Price. In connection with the automatic conversion, the Investor will execute and deliver to the Company all transaction documents related to the Equity Financing, provided that such documents are the same as those entered into with the other investors, with appropriate variations for the Safe if applicable, and have customary exceptions to any drag-along applicable to the Investor.
(b) Liquidity Event. If there is a Liquidity Event before this Safe terminates, the Investor will automatically be entitled (subject to the liquidation priority in Section 1(d)) to receive a portion of Proceeds, due and payable immediately prior to or concurrent with the Liquidity Event, equal to the greater of (i) the Purchase Amount (the "Cash-Out Amount") or (ii) the amount payable on the number of shares of Common Stock equal to the Purchase Amount divided by the Liquidity Price (the "Conversion Amount"). If any Proceeds are not enough to pay all Cash-Out Amounts in full, the available Proceeds will be distributed pro rata to the investors in proportion to their Purchase Amounts.
(c) Dissolution Event. If there is a Dissolution Event before this Safe terminates, the Investor will automatically be entitled to receive a portion of Proceeds equal to the Cash-Out Amount, due and payable immediately prior to the consummation of the Dissolution Event.
(d) Liquidation Priority. In a Liquidity Event or Dissolution Event, this Safe is intended to operate like standard non-participating Preferred Stock. The Investor's right to receive its Cash-Out Amount is (i) junior to payment of outstanding indebtedness and creditor claims, (ii) on par with payments for other Safes and/or Preferred Stock, and (iii) senior to payments for Common Stock.
(e) Termination. This Safe will automatically terminate immediately following the earliest to occur of (i) the issuance of Capital Stock to the Investor under Section 1(a); or (ii) the payment, or setting aside for payment, of amounts due under Section 1(b) or 1(c).
2. Definitions. "Capital Stock", "Common Stock", "Conversion Price", "Dissolution Event", "Equity Financing" (a bona fide transaction or series in which the Company issues and sells Preferred Stock for the principal purpose of raising capital), "Liquidity Event" (a Change of Control or IPO), "Liquidity Price", "Proceeds", "Safe", "Safe Preferred Stock" and related terms have the meanings given in the official YC Post-Money Safe (Valuation Cap Only). The "Conversion Price" is the Safe Price (Post-Money Valuation Cap divided by the Company Capitalization) or the Discount Price, here, Valuation-Cap-only, so the Safe Price applies.
3. Company Representations. The Company is duly incorporated, validly existing and in good standing; has the power and authority to enter into and perform this Safe; execution does not conflict with law or its charter; and, to its knowledge, it owns or possesses sufficient rights to its material intellectual property for its business as now conducted.
4. Investor Representations. The Investor has full legal capacity, power and authority to enter into this Safe; is an accredited investor (or otherwise eligible under applicable law); is purchasing for its own account for investment, not with a view to distribution; and can bear the economic risk, including total loss.
5. Miscellaneous. This Safe sets forth the entire agreement on its subject matter; may be amended only with the written consent of the Company and either the Investor or the majority-in-interest of then-outstanding Safes with the same terms; is governed by the laws of [Delaware / ADGM]; neither party may transfer it without the other's consent (except the Investor to an affiliate); and it may be executed in counterparts, including electronically.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Safe as of the date first set forth above.
COMPANY: [Company legal name]
By: __________________________ Name: [Founder name] Title: [e.g. CEO]
Address / Email: ____________________
INVESTOR:
By: __________________________ Name: ____________________
Email: ____________________
C) What each cheque buys at a $6.5M cap
On a post-money SAFE, the investor's share ≈ investment ÷ cap (before later dilution).
| Cheque | Approx. ownership |
|---|---|
| $25,000 | ~0.38% |
| $50,000 | ~0.77% |
| $100,000 | ~1.54% |
| $250,000 | ~3.85% |
| $500,000 | ~7.7% |
| $1,000,000 | ~15.4% |
So raising $500k at a $6.5M cap ≈ giving up ~7.7%, exactly the founder-favourable zone. A lower cap gives away more; a higher cap you can't defend risks a down-round later.
D) Cover email (copy/paste)
Subject: Kurdify, raising a small round (live platform, real traction) Hi [Name], I'm the founder of Kurdify, the business directory, marketplace and AI assistant for Kurdistan. It's already live and working: · 10,800+ businesses · 228,000+ Google reviews · 12 cities · revenue rails on · multiple verticals (marketplace, real estate, autos, jobs) + a Kurdish AI assistant We're raising $[amount] on a YC post-money SAFE at a $6.5M cap to fund the mobile app, the credit economy and growth over the next 18 months. Deck + data room: [DocSend link]. Would love 20 minutes, are you open [day]? Thanks, [Name] · kurdify.app
14 Step-by-step: how to actually run the raise
- Get your house in order (week 1-2): incorporate the holdco (Stripe Atlas for Delaware, or an ADGM/DIFC agent for UAE); put the cap table on Carta / Pulley; build a data room (Google Drive/Notion: deck, metrics, model, cap table, incorporation docs); build a 10-12 slide deck.
- Stack non-dilutive (in parallel): apply to Microsoft Founders Hub → Google Cloud → AWS Activate; apply to Five One Labs & KAPITA; enter Hult Prize / MITEF.
- Set terms: YC post-money SAFE, $6.5M cap, target raise, min cheque (§13).
- Build the investor list: warm intros first (Five One Labs, KAPITA, your network, diaspora), then AngelList. Track in a simple sheet (name, source, status).
- Outreach: send the cover email + deck via DocSend (so you see who opened it). Aim for 30-50 conversations to close a round.
- Sign & collect money: use a platform that handles the SAFE signature + the wire: Clerky, AngelList, or Odin (never collect into a personal account).
- Many small investors? Bundle them into one SPV on Odin (appears as a single clean line on your cap table), or run an equity-crowdfunding round on Republic for diaspora/community.
- Close: countersign, receive wires, update the cap table, and send your first monthly investor update. Then keep sending it, it's what makes the next round easy.
| Job | Platform |
|---|---|
| Incorporate holdco | Stripe Atlas (Delaware) · ADGM/DIFC formation agent (UAE) |
| Cap table | Carta · Pulley · Odin |
| Sign SAFE + collect money | Clerky · AngelList · Odin |
| SPV / pool many angels | Odin · AngelList Syndicates · Vauban |
| Crowdfund (community) | Republic · Wefunder · Seedrs |
| Share & track the deck | DocSend · Pitch |
| Data room | Google Drive · Notion |
15 Master directory, every link in one table
| Name | Type | Region | Link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Five One Labs | Incubator / grants | KRI / Iraq | fiveonelabs.org |
| KAPITA (+ Iraqi Angel Network) | Ecosystem / angels | Iraq | kapita.iq |
| Re:Coded | Talent / support | Iraq / KRI | re-coded.com |
| Orange Corners Iraq | Incubation / grants | Iraq | orangecorners.com |
| The Station Foundation | Community / programs | Erbil | thestation.krd (verify) |
| UNDP Iraq | Grants / programs | Iraq | iq.undp.org |
| GIZ Iraq | Grants (development) | Iraq | giz.de |
| Flat6Labs | Accelerator | MENA | flat6labs.com |
| Hult Prize | Competition ($1M) | Global | hultprize.org |
| MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab | Competition / mentorship | Arab | mitefarab.org |
| Microsoft for Startups | Cloud/AI credits | Global | foundershub.startups.microsoft.com |
| Google for Startups Cloud | Cloud/AI credits | Global | cloud.google.com/startup/apply |
| AWS Activate | Cloud credits | Global | aws.amazon.com/activate |
| IFC (World Bank) | Dev. finance | Global | ifc.org |
| EBRD | Dev. finance | Region | ebrd.com |
| US DFC | Dev. finance | Global | dfc.gov |
| Cairo Angels | Angel network | MENA | cairoangels.com |
| Womena / Womentum | Angel + accelerator | MENA | womena.co |
| AngelList | Angels / syndicates | Global | angellist.com |
| 500 Global | VC (early) | MENA / global | 500.co |
| Wamda Capital | VC (early) | MENA | wamdacapital.com |
| BECO Capital | VC | Gulf / MENA | beco.vc |
| Global Ventures | VC | MENA | global.vc |
| Shorooq Partners | VC (early) | MENA | shorooq.com |
| Nuwa Capital | VC (early) | MENA | nuwacap.com |
| Plus VC | VC (pre-seed/seed) | MENA | plusvc.com |
| MEVP | VC | MENA | mevp.com |
Documents: YC SAFE, ycombinator.com/documents · NVCA model docs, nvca.org/model-legal-documents · Deck, sequoiacap.com. Verify every link/program before relying on it; rules and amounts change.
16 Where & how to find investors (every channel)
Ranked best → hardest. Warm intros convert ~10× cold outreach, spend most effort at the top.
- Warm intros, the #1 source. Ask everyone (mentors, other founders, Five One Labs, KAPITA, your family/network) for intros to specific angels. A founder who already raised from an angel is your best bridge.
- Accelerators / incubators, they come with money + a full investor network at demo day: Five One Labs, Flat6Labs, 500 Global, and global ones (YC, Techstars) later.
- Angel networks & syndicates, KAPITA (Iraq), Cairo Angels, Womena, AngelList syndicates.
- Investor databases (for cold, targeted outreach), see the tools below; filter by stage/region/sector, then personalise.
- LinkedIn, search "angel investor" / "Partner at [VC]"; use Sales Navigator; connect with a short note, then send the deck.
- X / Twitter "build in public", post your traction; many angels invest from DMs. Kurdify's story travels well.
- Diaspora communities, Kurdish professional groups (LinkedIn, WhatsApp/Telegram, associations) in the US/UK/Germany/Sweden/Gulf. These are your warmest strangers.
- Pitch competitions / demo days, Hult Prize, MITEF, ecosystem events. Money + exposure + credibility.
17 Automate it, run the raise like a sales pipeline
Fundraising is sales: a list, a pipeline, outreach, follow-ups, close. Automate the mechanics, keep the human parts personal.
| Step | Automate with |
|---|---|
| Investor CRM / pipeline (stages: sourced → contacted → meeting → committed → wired) | Airtable · Notion · Attio · Affinity |
| Pull & enrich investor lists | OpenVC · Signal · Apollo.io (emails) |
| Personalised outreach at scale (mail-merge) | GMass (Gmail) · lemlist · Instantly |
| Deck tracking (who opened, how long) | DocSend |
| Booking meetings | Calendly · Cal.com |
| SAFE signature + collecting the wire | Clerky · Odin · AngelList |
| Monthly investor updates (automated) | Visible.vc · or a recurring email from your dashboard |
| Draft + personalise outreach, research investors, meeting prep | An AI assistant (feed it the investor's thesis + your metrics) |
18 Rich template pack
Pitch deck, 11-slide outline
1. Title, Kurdify · one line ("Kurdistan's business platform + AI")
2. Problem, fragmented, offline, no trusted directory/payments in KRI
3. Solution, directory + marketplace + AI assistant + credit economy
4. Product, 3-4 screenshots of the live app
5. Traction, 10,800+ businesses · 223k+ reviews · 12 cities · revenue rails (your killer slide)
6. Market, KRI + Iraq + Kurdish diaspora; size & growth
7. Business model, verified plans, ad placements, Credit economy, services
8. Why now / why us, Kurdish tech founders (Kavalsia), live product, first mover
9. Competition, Google Maps/Talabat/Lezzoo vs. Kurdify's local+AI+credit moat
10. The ask, raising $X on a $6.5M-cap SAFE; use of funds; 18-month plan
11. Vision + contact, where this goes; your email + kurdify.app
Cold email, 3-step sequence
#1 (day 0): [the cover email in §13, short, traction-led, one ask]
#2 (day 4, reply to #1): "Quick nudge, since I wrote, we [new metric/win].
Here's the deck again [link]. 15 min this week?"
#3 (day 9): "I'll stop here, if timing's off, is there someone on your team
or network who covers Kurdistan/MENA marketplaces I should meet?"
LinkedIn connect + message
Connect note: "Building Kurdify, the live business + AI platform for Kurdistan. Would value connecting." After accept: "Thanks for connecting. We're at 10,800+ businesses & 223k+ reviews, raising a small SAFE round. Open to a quick look at the deck?"
Warm-intro request (to send your network)
"Could you intro me to [Name]? One line you can forward: '[Your name] is building Kurdify, the live business + AI platform for Kurdistan (10k+ businesses, 223k+ reviews). Raising a small SAFE round, worth 15 min.'"
Data-room checklist (Google Drive / Notion folder)
□ Pitch deck (PDF) □ Financial model / projections □ Metrics dashboard □ Cap table □ Incorporation docs □ SAFE (your template) □ Founder bios □ Product demo video / link □ Key contracts / IP □ Roadmap & use of funds
Investor FAQ / objection answers
"Iraq is risky" → live product, real revenue rails, huge underserved market, diaspora bridge. "Small market" → KRI + Iraq (40M+) + global Kurdish diaspora; multi-vertical + Credit economy. "Just a directory" → directory is the wedge; marketplace + AI + payments is the business. "Why you" → Kurdish tech founders (US/Canada), already shipped what others only pitch.
Kurdish (Sorani) message templates, for local & diaspora investors
داواکاری ناساندن (بۆ ناردن بۆ ناسیاوەکانت):
پەیامی کورت (LinkedIn / واتساپ):
Arabic cover email, for Arabic-speaking KRI/Iraq investors
19 All documents & contracts you'll need
| Document | When | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Post-money SAFE | Your raise (early) | ycombinator.com/documents |
| Convertible note (alt to SAFE) | If investor prefers debt | cooleygo.com · nvca.org |
| Priced-round set (term sheet, SPA, IRA, voting, ROFR) | Seed / Series A | nvca.org/model-legal-documents |
| Certificate of incorporation + bylaws | Forming the holdco | Stripe Atlas / Clerky (Delaware) · ADGM agent |
| Founder IP assignment | At incorporation (critical) | Clerky / Stripe Atlas (included) |
| Founder stock purchase + vesting (4yr, 1yr cliff) + 83(b) | At incorporation | Clerky |
| Advisor agreement (FAST) | When adding advisors | fi.co/fast |
| Option pool / ESOP + employee offer letters | First hires | Carta · Pulley |
| Board consent / written approvals | Each round & key decision | Clerky · your lawyer |
| Cap table (living record) | Always | Carta · Pulley · Odin |
| Side letter / MFN (info & pro-rata rights) | If a lead asks | Your lawyer |
| Mutual NDA | Vendors/contractors only, never ask VCs to sign one (red flag) | cooleygo.com |
| Privacy policy / terms / DPA (for the app itself) | Product/compliance | Your lawyer · termly/iubenda |
The two documents you must not skip at incorporation
Founder IP assignment (so the company, not you personally, owns Kurdify's code/brand) and founder vesting + 83(b). Missing these is the most common thing that kills a deal in due diligence. Clerky/Stripe Atlas include them; use them from day one.
20 Raising in Kurdistan, the local reality (start here if you raise locally)
What actually works on the ground in the KRI/Iraq, and what needs the foreign holdco.
| Path | Doable in the KRI directly? | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Local grants & accelerators (Five One Labs, KAPITA, Re:Coded, Orange Corners, The Station) | Yes, start now | Just apply. Highest value, 0% equity, plus mentorship & investor intros. |
| Local angels (family, KRI businesspeople, diaspora) | Yes | A KRI corporate lawyer + notary; a bilingual (Kurdish/English) agreement; keep every cheque on the cap table. |
| SAFE | Not reliably | Not clearly enforceable under Iraqi law, use a share purchase + shareholders' agreement or a convertible/loan locally, or issue the SAFE from the UAE/Delaware holdco. |
| International angels / VCs / crowdfunding / SPV platforms (AngelList, Odin, Clerky, Carta, Republic) | No, needs foreign entity | A UAE (ADGM/DIFC) or Delaware holdco over Kurdify KRI, plus a foreign bank account. |
| Cloud & AI credits (Microsoft/Google/AWS) | Mostly | Works with a card + website; verification/billing is smoother via the holdco. |
How deals actually get done with Kurdistan investors
- Trust and relationships beat the deck. An intro from a respected mutual contact matters more than a cold pitch. Spend time in person; local investors back the founder, not just the numbers.
- Papers, always, even with family. Undocumented cash "for a share" is how disputes (and things that look like the illegal deposit scheme) start. A short bilingual share/convertible agreement, signed and notarised, protects everyone.
- Expect different terms. Local investors may want a larger stake, faster or profit-share returns, or involvement. Hold your line with your traction, but be ready to explain equity and dilution simply, many will be new to startup rounds.
- USD + a clean paper trail. Prefer bank transfer in USD where possible; document the source and amount. Keep it clean for the day international investors do due diligence.
- Family offices & established businesspeople (retail, real estate, telecom, trading families) are the real local cheques, reachable through Five One Labs, KAPITA, chambers of commerce, and your own network.
Your "start in Kurdistan" plan (concrete)
- Apply to Five One Labs and KAPITA now, grants, mentorship, and warm intros to local angels. This is the highest-leverage local move.
- Line up 3-5 local/diaspora angels through warm intros. Paper each with a KRI lawyer (share or convertible agreement, bilingual, notarised).
- Set up the UAE (ADGM/DIFC) holdco in parallel, so the same round can also take diaspora/international money and use proper SAFEs and cap-table tooling.
- Keep the cap table clean from cheque #1 (Carta/Pulley) and send a monthly update. Clean local rounds are what make the next, bigger round possible.
21 Options in Canada (you're based here, big advantage)
Because you're in Canada, you can stack one of the world's best non-dilutive systems and a deep investor market. If your development is done from Canada, a Canadian holding company (federal or Ontario) is a strong option, it unlocks SR&ED + IRAP + Canadian angels/VCs, and can own Kurdify KRI. (For a future US-VC mega-round, Delaware is still preferred; but Canada is excellent for the grant stack, Canadian investors, and your residency/citizenship path.)
Canadian grants & non-dilutive (0% equity, start here)
Accelerators & incubators (Toronto / Ontario)
Canadian angel networks
Canadian VCs (Seed / Series A)
22 Index, every list on this page
| # | Section | What's in it |
|---|---|---|
| 1-5 | Basics · Instruments · Founder-favour · Entity · Dashboard | How it works, SAFE vs. rest, keeping control, KRI-vs-international entity, investor reporting |
| 6 | Pooling investors legally | SPV/syndicate + equity crowdfunding platforms |
| 7 | Grants & credits | KRI/Iraq grants, MENA accelerators, cloud/AI credits (direct apply links), dev finance |
| 8-9 | Angels & VCs | Angel networks + MENA VC funds |
| 10 | Templates | Deck, update, SAFE-ask |
| 11-12 | Connections · Path | Clean use of gov/family links, sequenced plan |
| 13 | Deal package | Term sheet, SAFE fill-sheet, cap-table math, cover email, full ready SAFE |
| 14 | Step-by-step + platforms | The full run-the-raise process + tool table |
| 15 | Master directory | Every grant/accelerator/angel/VC in one table |
| 16 | Find investors | All channels + databases (OpenVC, Signal, Crunchbase…) |
| 17 | Automate the raise | CRM, outreach, signing, updates + the automated flow |
| 18 | Template pack | Deck outline, cold emails, LinkedIn, Kurdish & Arabic templates, data-room, FAQ |
| 19 | Documents & contracts | Every doc, when you need it, where to get it |
| 20 | Raising in Kurdistan | What's doable locally + the local playbook |
| 21 | Options in Canada | SR&ED/IRAP + Canadian accelerators, angels, VCs |
| 23 | The prepared package | Everything below, already built: deck, plans, filled forms, official YC files |
23 The prepared package, everything ready to download
All of the above, already executed for Kurdify: the deck, the plans, every form filled with the real terms ($6.5M cap, live traction from /api/stats), and the official YC files. Master copies live in the repo under raise/; these are the shareable copies. Numbers refresh before every investor send.
| Part | Document | Open |
|---|---|---|
| Deck & plans | Positioning, the story we tell (Kurdish Sorani + Kurmanji, Arabic, English) | /raise/positioning |
| Pitch deck, 12 slides (open, then print to PDF landscape) | /raise/pitch-deck | |
| Business plan (market, model, financials, risks) | /raise/business-plan | |
| Marketing plan, 18-month go-to-market | /raise/marketing-plan | |
| Package index (how to use all of it) | /raise/ | |
| Forms, filled | One-page term sheet / deal summary | /raise/term-sheet |
| SAFE with Kurdify terms (presentation reference) | /raise/safe-post-money-cap-only | |
| Pro-rata side letter fill-sheet (cheques $50k+) | /raise/pro-rata-side-letter | |
| Monthly investor update template | /raise/investor-update-template | |
| Outreach templates, EN + Sorani + Arabic | /raise/outreach-templates | |
| Data-room checklist | /raise/data-room-checklist | |
| Official forms directory (what to file, where, in order) | /raise/official-forms-directory | |
| Applications | Grant & credit application answer pack (Microsoft, Google, AWS, Five One Labs, KAPITA, Futurpreneur, SR&ED) | /raise/grant-and-credit-applications |
| Official YC files, filled (.docx) | SAFE, Canada: Kavalsia Inc. (Ontario), $6.5M cap, signatory filled | download |
| SAFE, US: Delaware, $6.5M cap (holdco name bracketed until incorporation) | download | |
| Pro Rata Side Letter, Canada (filled) | download | |
| Pro Rata Side Letter, US (filled) | download | |
| Official YC originals | Post-Money SAFE, Valuation Cap Only (US) | download |
| Post-Money SAFE, Valuation Cap Only (Canada) | download | |
| Pro Rata Side Letter (US) | download | |
| Pro Rata Side Letter (Canada) | download | |
| YC SAFE User Guide (PDF, 33 pages) | download |
Before any signature: confirm the issuing entity's jurisdiction (the Canada SAFE currently says Ontario), and have a securities lawyer review. The filled files leave investor name, purchase amount, and date blank on purpose; those are per-investor.