Agent Search (previously known as Advanced search) provides two key benefits (1) helping you navigate and find investors out there, and (2) highlighting key details about each firm and seeing if you are a good fit and match with them. Here's how in a quick video and written steps below:
How It Works (for Investor search)
1. Access Agent Search
- You can access Agent Search by going directly to the https://distill.fyi/search/advanced
- Or you can click on the search bar and select the Agent Search dropdown
2. Choose the Search Type
- Currently, we support Investor search and general people search, but search types are coming soon. If you have suggestions, feel free to email feedback@distill.fyi. For People Search, check out the article here.
3. Tell us what you're looking for
- This is a freeform box to type out the investor you want to search. We recommend including as many details as possible to make your query more accurate, e.g, headquarters, the industry they invest in, and check size.
- Once you've typed out your query, you can press continue to see the filtered version to double-check if your query looks good (see steps below).
4. Specify the type of Investors you're looking for
- VC Firm - firm investing in starts for high-growth returns
- Angel Syndicate - invests in startups through an angel syndicate
- Startup Accelerator - invests in startups through an accelerator program
- Startup Incubator - invests in startups through an incubator program
-
Venture Studio - invests in startups it develops internally
5. Define the Investment stages:
- Pre-seed
- Seed
- Series A-D+
- Other
6. Lead Investor Preference
- Confirm whether you’re looking for a lead investor. Then Press NEXT.
7. Ranking Preferences
- Give us your preferences on how you would like your results to be ranked. This includes what you're looking for and any key words for us to know.
8. Add your preferred locations (by country)
- Thiis is sorted by country, but you can include a more specific area in the keywords section above.
- Note: This is where the investor firm is located, not where they invest in.
9. Specify your Industry and target audience
- This will be auto-filled with available data, but you can edit it.
- Add a description for your target audience; what does your customer look like?
10. Press ‘Create Search’
- Once your criteria are set, press Create Search to generate a tailored list of potential investors.
Viewing Investor Results
Your results will display a list of potential investors along with key details. You will see the search query with filtes and ranking/relevance at the top left of the search, ex.
Clicking on each result will show:
- Company Information: Logo, company site, number of employees, location, and founding year
- Recent Investments: How many investments they’ve made in your selected stage (e.g., Pre-seed, Seed)
- Typical Industry: The sectors they most commonly invest in (e.g., Health Tech, Fintech, Deep Tech, Climate Tech)
-
Fit Score: Each investor will be labeled as Low Fit, Fit, or Good Fit based on your startup profile and assessment criteria.
Note: You can also flip between results using the results filter
- Relevance (see which firm results fit you best)
- View results based on Investing activity
- Alphabetical
- # of employees
- Size of fund
- Newest fund date
Exploring Individual Investor Profiles with Agent Search
- Click on any investor in the results to see a detailed view in the right-hand panel. This includes:
- The Investor Profile – with all relevant details about the firm.
- We'll include why we are showing the profile to you
- See people at the firm, # of mutual connections, and see how best you can connect with any shared mutuals using our Intro paths feature.
- Assessment Questions & Answers – generated responses at the top to help you quickly determine whether you are a fit with this investor.
The rest is up to you, such as reaching out and connecting. Feel free to give us more feedback on this feature at feedback@distill.fyi.
FAQ
-
Q: How do I start a new search?
- A: You can start a new one by pressing 'New Search' in your current search query, or you can start a new search anytime by clicking on the search bar to start a new Agent Search.
- A: You can start a new one by pressing 'New Search' in your current search query, or you can start a new search anytime by clicking on the search bar to start a new Agent Search.
-
Q: Are my Agent Search results saved?
- A: Yes, they are accessible in your Advanced Search history. They can be individually customized and saved for later use.
- A: Yes, they are accessible in your Advanced Search history. They can be individually customized and saved for later use.
-
Q: Can my Agent Search results be shared?
- Yes, you can share the query itself by sharing the URL. Or, you can add them to a List and share them that way (see sharing a List)
- Yes, you can share the query itself by sharing the URL. Or, you can add them to a List and share them that way (see sharing a List)
-
Q: Can Agent search results be added to a List?
- A: Yes, you can add them to a List and share them with team members or externally to others. See Adding profiles to a List and Sharing Lists (with external visitors) to learn more.
- A: Yes, you can add them to a List and share them with team members or externally to others. See Adding profiles to a List and Sharing Lists (with external visitors) to learn more.
-
Q: Can I hide results?
- A: Not yet, but you can exclude them from showing up your search by using the filter option. Click on Add filter and specify the attribute you want to include or exclude.
- A: Not yet, but you can exclude them from showing up your search by using the filter option. Click on Add filter and specify the attribute you want to include or exclude.