# How We Invest: $110K Pre-Seed Checks, No Intro | LongJump

> Our standard pre-seed deal is $100K on a $5M SAFE cap plus $10K for 3% common. No warm intro needed: apply online, and we review applications monthly.

Source: https://longjump.vc/how-we-invest

# You don't need a warm introduction - we look at every deal. Our Process

## We’re flipping the script on early stage investing: open, honest, and built for founders.

We know fundraising is a challenging and anxiety-inducing process. Our goal is to be the opposite - so we’re committed to demystifying as much of our process as we can, so you know where you stand.

[Apply Today](https://tally.so/r/3qEA5Y)

![LongJump founders at a community event](https://longjump.vc/_image?href=%2F_astro%2Fv4a7777-a47657.Bm-Ag8Za.jpg\&w=1601\&h=2400\&f=webp)![A founder taking notes](https://longjump.vc/_image?href=%2F_astro%2Fv4a9122-a453ee.Co3C2VNo.jpg\&w=2400\&h=1601\&f=webp)

### Our Process

[What We Offer](https://longjump.vc/how-we-invest#offer)

[What we Invest In](https://longjump.vc/how-we-invest#invest-in)

[Our Process](https://longjump.vc/how-we-invest#process)

## What We Offer

#### **We have a standard deal for all of our investments**

- **Our Standard Deal**: We invest $100K on a $5M SAFE cap, plus $10K for 3% common equity with an equity-back guarantee. If you're raising on different terms, we’ll consider adjusting if it makes sense.
- **We Go First**: We invest earlier than most. Often before you have other investors. That early commitment means we stick to clear, disciplined terms.
- **Hands-On Support**: You get a dedicated deal lead and a partner group who are in your corner with time, network, and honest feedback. We show up when you need us.
- **Founder Community**: You join a group of founders at the same stage, solving similar problems. It's collaborative and designed to help you move faster.
- **Our Network**: [Our investors](https://longjump.vc/network) include top founders and operators from across the country. They back LongJump because they believe in founders like you and are ready to help.

## What We invest in

#### **We are focused on businesses that:**

- **Based in the Midwest**: We have strong preference for founders building in the Midwest, especially Chicago.
- **We can be an early investor**: You haven’t raised significant outside capital yet.
- ‍**Tech-focused or tech-enabled**: Your business can scale quickly with technology at its core.
- **Are led by impressive builders**: We care about the strength of your founding team and your unique insights and experiences in the market you’re tackling.
- ‍**High-leverage capital fit**: Our check can help you make real, measurable progress.

## Our Investing Process

**We accept applications, not pitch decks**\
You do not need a referral or introduction to be considered for a LongJump investment. But you do have to complete an [application](https://longjump.vc/apply).

We invest off of an application for a few reasons: to reduce bias, to streamline the information exchange from you to us, and to help us, as full-time founders, manage the investment process more efficiently.

Our [application](https://longjump.vc/apply) helps us learn the basics about you, your business, your team, and your progress to date. It’s reasonably comprehensive, so plan accordingly. We review every application, but due to the volume of applications we receive, we are unable to give detailed feedback in this phase if we don't move you forward. All applicants will receive a decision notification from our team.

**After you apply**\
You’ll receive an automated confirmation email.\
Each application is reviewed by LongJump partners, first individually, then discussed as a group to decide which companies we’re most excited to learn more about.

**Timeline**: This group review typically happens within **2 weeks of the cycle close**.

**Application review happens monthly**\
We review applications in monthly cycles. If you apply just after a cycle begins, there may be a short wait until the next review window. We know this timing isn’t always ideal, but this cadence helps us balance investing with building.

**Timeline**: You can expect a decision or interview invitation within **2 weeks after a cycle closes**.

‍**Partner interview**\
If we’re interested, we’ll schedule a 45-minute video call with a few LongJump partners.\
We’ll ask about your product, traction, team, market, and what makes your approach unique.\
We’ll also take time to answer your questions and talk through how we might help.\
We encourage all founders from a company to join. This is a two-way conversation, not a formal pitch.

**Timeline**: Interviews typically happen **within 1 week of decision to move forward**.

**Partner diligence**\
Within approximately **2 weeks of the interview**, we’ll share whether we’re interested in moving to deeper diligence.\
This may involve follow-up conversations, additional materials, or internal analysis.\
If we decide not to proceed, we’ll do our best to provide helpful feedback and may encourage you to re-apply when the timing is better.

**Decisions and offers**\
We typically make final decisions **4 to 6 weeks after your initial interview**.\
If we’re ready to invest, your deal lead will write a memo and share it internally.\
We don’t require full partner consensus. If the deal lead is a strong yes and at least one other partner is aligned, we’ll make an offer.

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**Questions on our terms or process? **Shoot us an email at [hello@longjump.vc](mailto:hello@longjump.vc?subject=LongJump%20Inquiry)

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