Seed Funding Explained: How To Get Started

If you’re looking to raise capital for your startup or small business, this video explains seed funding — what seed funding is, how it works, and when it makes sense to raise it. Learn about the different types of seed funding, including angel investors, venture capital, crowdfunding, and accelerators, along with how to identify how much capital you need and approach potential investors. The video also breaks down what to manage in-house versus what to outsource, plus practical financial planning tips to help early-stage businesses prepare for growth and make informed funding decisions. Chapters 0:10 What is seed funding? 1:10 Identify how much capital you need and why 2:29 Start approaching investors 3:28 Negotiate the terms and secure the funds 4:08 Types of investors 4:52 Angel investors 5:28 Venture capitalists 6:38 Crowdfunding 7:39 Incubators and accelerators 8:44 Self-funding 9:54 Validated idea or an MVP 10:32 Clear business plan 11:01 Early market traction 11:33 Path and plan to scale 12:09 What to keep in house 13:52 What to outsource 14:56 Practical tips for securing funding 16:12 Financial tips for managing funding For more information on seed funding, visit these Upwork Resource Center articles: You’re a Founder, Not a Bookkeeper — Scale Smarter How To Scale Your Startup in 2026 Seed-Stage Startups: How To Build Your Team -------------------------------------------------------------------- Find and hire top freelance talent fast on Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/i/how-it-works/client/?utm_medium=OrganicSocial&utm_source=YouTube&utm_campaign=ORSOCL_YT_INFD_ALLMKTS_BRAND_AWR_INTEREST_All_EVGR24_ClientYouTubeDescription Interested in freelancing on Upwork? Get started: https://www.upwork.com/i/how-it-works/freelancer/?utm_medium=OrganicSocial&utm_source=YouTube&utm_campaign=ORSOCL_YT_INFD_ALLMKTS_BRAND_AWR_INTEREST_All_EVGR24_FreelanceYouTubeDescription Visit our resource center for more tips and tricks: https://www.upwork.com/resources?utm_medium=OrganicSocial&utm_source=YouTube&utm_campaign=ORSOCL_YT_INFD_ALLMKTS_BRAND_AWR_INTEREST_All_EVGR24_ResourceYouTubeDescription -------------------------------------------------------------------- 🔔 Subscribe to be notified about new videos ➔ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvxGFOnwUBDHHcxuPqhe4CQhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvxGFOnwUBDHHcxuPqhe4CQ?sub_confirmation=1 Follow #Upwork on social and join the conversation: ☞ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/upwork/ ☞ X: https://www.twitter.com/upwork ☞ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/upwork ☞ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upwork ☞ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@upwork ☞ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@upwork