Monthly Investor Update Template (Seed–Series A)

Founder‑friendly template and examples for monthly investor updates: structure, KPI pack, risks, asks, and a 30‑minute writing routine.

Great updates are short, honest, and consistent. They help investors help you—faster intros, cleaner follow‑ups, and fewer ad‑hoc pings. This guide gives you a copy‑and‑paste template, KPI examples, two email formats, and a 30‑minute routine you can stick to.

Key takeaways: Send one update a month on the same day. Lead with what changed, show a small KPI set with trends, state risks plainly, and make two specific asks. Keep a living metrics dictionary to avoid definitional debates.

Same day each month, small KPI set, two asks.

Example KPI set (SaaS)

Metric	Definition
ARR	Annualised recurring revenue; sum of active subscriptions × annual price
Net New ARR	New + expansion − churn for the month × 12
NRR	Expansion-adjusted retention over a 12-month window
Burn & Runway	Net cash burn; months of cash at current burn
Activation	% of signups completing the core action in week 1
CAC Payback	Months to recover CAC on a gross margin basis
Uptime	Availability over the month

The short version

Pick a fixed day each month. Use the same structure every time: Highlights/Lowlights, KPI pack, Asks, Risks, and Hiring. Link to a short board‑pack if needed.

Two formats work: (1) Plain‑text email with light tables; (2) One‑page doc with linked charts. Whichever you choose, put the two Asks in bold and make deadlines explicit.

Subject lines that get opened

Include company, month, and one headline metric: “Acme — July Update (ARR $83k, +11% m/m).”

Consistency makes it searchable. If you’re mid‑raise or hiring, add a short tag: “+ Hiring 2 AEs” or “+ Raising Seed Ext.”

Template (copy/paste)

A tight, scannable structure that fits on one screen.

Hi all — Highlights: • X • Y • Z Lowlights: • A • B • C KPIs: ARR $__, +__% m/m | Burn $__ | Runway __ mo | NRR __% | Activation __% Asks: 1) Intro to __ by __; 2) Hire __ (JD link) Risks: • __ | Mitigations: __ Hiring: Open roles + referrals link Notes: Links to launch, deck, board pack — CEO Name

KPI pack (keep it small)

Show 6–8 metrics with trends. Define each metric once in a dictionary and link charts to their source.

Examples: ARR/Net New ARR, Gross Margin, Burn/Runway, NRR/Logo retention, Activation, CAC Payback or Magic Number, Uptime. For marketplaces/fintech, swap in GMV/Take rate or TPV/Approval rate.

Risks and Asks (be specific)

State the real risks even if uncomfortable, and make two concrete asks with owners and deadlines.

Bad: “Hiring is hard.” Better: “Sr. Backend offer declined; need two senior referrals this week—owner: CTO.” Track asks and close the loop next month.

30‑minute writing routine

Block 30 minutes on the first business day monthly: pull the KPI snapshot, paste the template, fill highlights/lowlights, write risks/asks, send.

Automate data pulls where possible. Keep a running scratchpad during the month for highlights and lessons—writing becomes assembly, not invention.

Distribution & privacy

Default to the investor list and key advisors. If you maintain a public changelog, keep financials private and share only launches and learning.

Use BCC for email hygiene. Store a PDF in your corporate folder with YYYY‑MM naming. Redact customer PII from screenshots.

Core Web Vitals (if you host an updates page)

If you publish updates on your site, target INP ≤200 ms, LCP ≤2.5 s, CLS ≤0.1.

Export charts as static images, preconnect to your CDN, and reserve space for embeds to avoid layout shifts.

Two example formats (filled‑in)

Steal these and tune the numbers.

Plain‑text (email)

Acme — July Update (ARR $83k, +11% m/m) Highlights: • Shipped self‑serve onboarding (activation +6pp) • Hired Sr. AE • Won BetaCorp ($48k ACV) Lowlights: • Pro plan churn up 1.2pp after price change • Usage dip in legacy cohort KPIs: ARR $83k (+11%) | Burn $95k | Runway 14 mo | NRR 108% | Activation 41% | Uptime 99.96% Asks: 1) Intro to Fintech X PM by Aug 20; 2) Referrals for Staff Backend (JD link) Risks: Pipeline concentration (top 3 at 62% of qtr target) — mitigation: widen top‑funnel with partner webinar Hiring: Open roles (AE, Staff Backend) → link Notes: Launch write‑up; deck v3.2; next board Sep 10 — Sam

One‑pager (doc)

Same sections, plus two trendline charts and a short appendix for definitions.

What to chart (and what not)

Prefer trends over walls of numbers; annotate outliers.

Trends: Net New ARR (3‑month), NRR (TTM), Activation (weekly), Burn & Runway
Annotate: one‑offs (annual prepay), policy changes (pricing), data quirks
Avoid: vanity metrics without linkage to value; 30‑metric dumps

Metric dictionary (snippet)

One page that ends definitional debates.

Metric	Formula	Source	Owner	Cadence
ARR	Σ (active subs × annual price)	Stripe + BI query 42	Finance	Monthly
NRR	(Start ARR + expansion − churn) / Start ARR	Data mart table mrr_events	RevOps	Monthly (TTM)
Activation	% new signups complete core action in 7 days	Product analytics report A-12	PM	Weekly

Response tracking

Make help visible.

Keep a tab with Asks → Who picked it up → Outcome → Date closed. Start the next update with a quick “wins from your help” line—this reinforces useful engagement.

Tooling options

Keep it simple and durable.

Email + Google Doc/PDF archive (YYYY‑MM naming)
Automated KPI snapshot from BI (scheduled export)
DocSend/Notion if you want read receipts; avoid access friction

Privacy & legal hygiene

Share enough to be useful; avoid spreading PII or material non‑public info beyond the list.

BCC recipients; watermark attachments if needed; store updates in your corporate folder. During financings, maintain an insider list per counsel’s guidance.

Common mistakes (and fixes)

Spot these patterns early.

“All green” updates → admit the real risk and mitigation
Metric drift → lock definitions and link charts to their sources
No follow‑through on Asks → assign owners and add due dates
Too long → fit on one screen; link deeper

Hiring & references block

Make it easy to forward.

Add a stable “We’re hiring” link, top 3 roles, and a one‑line pitch. Include a “Who we’re keen to meet” line with 2–3 target profiles or companies.

Freshness & update cadence

Pick the first business day monthly and stick to it.

If you miss it, send anyway within 48 hours with a short note. Re‑audit the KPI set twice a year. Archive all updates—future diligence will thank you.

Glossary (quick reference)

NRR: Net revenue retention. Burn: Net cash outflow. Runway: Months of cash at current burn. Activation: % hitting the core “Aha” action early.

FAQ

Quick answers on investor updates.

How long should the update be?
Aim for ~250–400 words plus a compact KPI line and two asks.
When should I send it?
Pick a predictable day/time. Many founders choose the first business day each month.
Should I include the deck?
Not by default. Link only if you’ve changed the narrative or are mid‑raise.
What if a metric is messy this month?
Say what happened and what you’re doing about it. Trends matter more than a single datapoint.
Can I automate it?
Yes—pull KPIs from your BI tool and paste into the template, but keep the narrative human.

Want your updates to drive real help from investors?

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