If Your AUM Isn't Growing the Way Your Performance Warrants, There's a Reason.
And it's probably not what you think it is.
Your information is treated as confidential. An NDA is available upon request.
New AUM Comes From Just Three Drivers
New capital from outside your current network:
Investors who don't yet know you existHigher conversion rates:
Turning more of the conversations you're already having into capital commitmentsMore help from the LPs who already know and trust you:
Follow-on investments, direct referrals, and introductions into their personal networks
The goal is simple.
The execution is not. There are myriad factors that affect your capital-raising effectiveness, and many of these factors have interdependencies that are not immediately apparent.
This is why we created the CapRaise Diagnostic: to show you exactly what is working, what isn't, and what you can do for maximum impact near-term and long-term.
Some improvements produce results almost immediately. Other improvements – the ones that drive persistent, exponential AUM growth – require more time and consistency of action.
Based on the understanding we gain through the CapRaise Diagnostic, we provide you with near-term and long-term recommended actions that have a profound effect on your capital-raising success.
You are almost certainly leaving capital on the table, and not because you aren't working hard enough.
You can start capturing this capital, but only if you understand what to do and how to do it. This is exactly what we give you through the CapRaise Diagnostic.
What We Review & Assess
My assessment covers ~50 diagnostic data points across five functional areas.
Materials & Messaging
I review your deck, tear sheet, website, branding, executive summary, investor letters, DDQ(s), core messaging, strategy differentiation, proof points, and messaging consistency across all investor-facing materials.
Digital Reputation & Public Presence
I assess what prospective investors find when they look you up, including search results, personal & company LinkedIn, website, published investor content, podcasts, traditional media, speaking engagements, awards, and visible market reputation.
Manager Credibility
I evaluate your background, team, investor alignment, service provider quality, marketing exemption, references, governance, key-person risk, and other trust-building factors.
Strategy Clarity & Investability
I assess how clearly you explain your strategy, edge, risk management, capacity, terms, and relevance to the investors your capital-raising targets.
Capital-Raising Process & Infrastructure
I review your target investor definition, prospect sourcing, CRM, follow-up process, pipeline discipline, LP referral activity, and overall fundraising workflow.
The CapRaise Diagnostic Output
You do not get a checklist or some sort of generic materials review. You get a scored, item-level assessment of your capital-raising, and a prioritized action plan with specific recommendations for improvement. A representative sample follows.
What We Review & Assess
Our assessment covers roughly 50 diagnostic data points across five areas.
We review your deck, tear sheet, website, branding, one-pager if you have one, investor letters, DDQ, core messaging, strategy differentiation, proof points, and messaging consistency across your investor-facing materials.
We assess what prospective investors find when they look you up, including LinkedIn, firm presence, published content, podcasts, media, speaking, awards, search results, and visible market reputation.
We evaluate your background, team, alignment, service provider quality, marketing exemption, references, governance, key-person risk, and other trust-building factors.
We assess how clearly you explain your strategy, edge, risk management, capacity, terms, market fit, and relevance to your target investors.
We review your target investor definition, prospect sourcing, CRM, follow-up process, pipeline discipline, LP referral activity, and overall fundraising workflow.
We review your deck, tear sheet, website, branding, one-pager if you have one, investor letters, DDQ, core messaging, strategy differentiation, proof points, and messaging consistency across your investor-facing materials.
We assess what prospective investors find when they look you up, including LinkedIn, firm presence, published content, podcasts, media, speaking, awards, search results, and visible market reputation.
We evaluate your background, team, alignment, service provider quality, marketing exemption, references, governance, key-person risk, and other trust-building factors.
We assess how clearly you explain your strategy, edge, risk management, capacity, terms, market fit, and relevance to your target investors.
We review your target investor definition, prospect sourcing, CRM, follow-up process, pipeline discipline, LP referral activity, and overall fundraising workflow.
What the CapRaise Diagnostic Is
A structured, expert assessment of how your fund presents itself to prospective investors, and where your capital-raising infrastructure may be falling short.
WHAT WE DO
I personally spend 8 to 12 hours on each engagement. I review your questionnaire responses, investor materials, website, LinkedIn presence, digital reputation, manager credibility, strategy clarity, target-investor fit, and follow-up process. I score every item, write comments when useful, prepare our findings, and discuss everything with you during our working call. I then follow this up with a thorough report covering everything we discussed and outlining potential next steps.
This is not software, and your answers do not run through an automated system. You are not buying a template report or a generic pitchbook review. Every observation, score, and recommendation reflects my own judgment applied to your fund.
It is also not a sales call in disguise. The CapRaise Diagnostic is the product. You leave with a prioritized action plan you can implement yourself, hand off to your team, or execute with outside professional help. What you are hiring me for is judgment, specificity, and a clear view of where to start.
Your information is treated as confidential. An NDA is available upon request.
What You’ll Receive
You receive my assessment: scoring, findings, and a prioritized plan of action.
Your CapRaise Diagnostic includes:
Preliminary findings before our review call
A working review call with me, Brian Connell, CFA
A five-category scorecard
Item-level observations across ~50 diagnostic data points
Specific recommendations on your materials, messaging, reputation, credibility, strategy clarity, and process
My diagnosis of what may be holding back your fundraising results
A 30 / 60 / 90-day action plan and longer-term priorities list
My final written report, typically 18 to 20 pages
The scorecard tells you where you stand.
My comments
explain what we see.
My recommendations lay out what to amend, in what order, to improve your capital-raising results.
The scorecard tells you where you stand.
My comments explain what I see.
My recommendations lay out what to amend, in what order, to improve your capital-raising results.
Your information is treated as confidential. An NDA is available upon request.
Who Should Consider Our Diagnostic
Our CapRaise Diagnostic fits managers who experience two or more of these issues:
Your AUM growth does not reflect your performance, track record, or background
You get meetings, but too few turn into capital commitments
Your online footprint does not match your actual credibility and expertise
Your existing LPs rarely make follow-on investments or refer/introduce you to others
Your prospect follow-up runs on memory and effort rather than on a well-designed system
You want to know what to fix before spending more time or money raising capital
The CapRaise Diagnostic is designed for serious managers who want direct, practical feedback and a prioritized path forward.
Our Process
Step 1 – Confirm Your Diagnostic
Complete payment by credit card through Stripe, or call us to pay by Zelle or bank wire.
Step 2 – Complete Your Intake
You receive an email with clear instructions for uploading your materials, and another to start the onboarding questionnaire.
Step 3 – The Assessment
I personally review your questionnaire responses, materials, public presence, positioning, credibility factors, strategy clarity, and capital-raising process, scoring each item.
Step 4 – Preliminary Findings
You receive written preliminary findings before our working review call, so you can come with questions and we can spend the call on what matters most.
Step 5 – The Review Call
I walk you through the findings, answer your questions, clarify priorities, and discuss my recommended plan of action.
Step 6 – Final Report and Recap
After the call, I will send you our full 18-to-20 page final report with prioritized recommendations and both your long-term and short-term 30/60/90-day action plans.
Typical timing:
A maximum of seven to ten business days after you complete our questionnaire and provide any requested materials or follow-up answers.
Pricing
The CapRaise Diagnostic is a confidential, paid engagement.
Price: $1,950
Your purchase includes our initial questionnaire and materials upload, materials review, assessment work, preliminary findings, working review call with me, five-category scorecard, item-level observations, prioritized recommendations, 30 / 60 / 90-day action plan, long-term action plan, and final written report.
Your information is treated as confidential. An NDA is available upon request.
Payment options: Stripe · Zelle · Bank wire
Confidentiality: We treat your information and materials as strictly confidential.
Meet the Founder
I'm Brian Connell, CFA, a former sellside TMT analyst, hedge fund manager, and the Founder of StreetFusion, where I personally raised approximately $17 million in equity capital. The company was sold to Thomson Reuters in 2003.
Early in my career, I founded Marquis Capital Management, a technology-focused long/short equity fund. My partner and I had good performance, but we could not raise enough outside capital to survive.
That sort of experience never leaves you.
Back then, I did not understand what raising capital required beyond good performance. Now I do. That hard-won understanding is what I bring to every CapRaise Diagnostic engagement.
STILL NOT SURE?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Our Work Confidential?
Yes. We treat your information and materials as confidential. Upon request, we will be happy to execute an NDA before you send your materials.
How Much Time Will I Need To Spend with Your Questionnaire?
Most managers spend roughly 60 to 90 minutes uploading materials and completing our questionnaire, depending on how organized they and their materials are. Note that the questionnaire can be completed in multiple sittings; information is stored on the local machine, however, so once begun it must be completed on the same device until it is completed.
What Materials Do You Review?
I review your deck, tear sheet, one-pager, DDQ(s), website, LinkedIn presence, investor letters, publicly available content, and any and all other materials that shape investor perception of you and your fund.
How Quickly Do I Receive Results?
I typically complete our Diagnostic 7 to 10 business days after you provide all requested materials and answer any follow-up / clarification questions I may have.
What Happens After Payment?
We provide you with instructions on how to upload your investor-related materials for our diagnostic process. Once the upload is complete, we will send you a link to our questionnaire, and upon completion I begin the assessment.
Know What to Fix First
Our CapRaise Diagnostic gives you expert assessment, item-level comments, and a prioritized action plan for improving your capital-raising effectiveness.
Confidential engagement · NDA available on request
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