A data room is a safe virtual space that allows companies to store confidential data related to high-stakes business transactions. This includes mergers, acquisitions or initial publicly-traded offerings (IPOs) and fundraising rounds. The data room permits authorized individuals, such as investors and due-diligence teams, to look over and evaluate sensitive documents without sharing the original documents.

Create a clear structure for your folders within your data room and clearly label each document to make it easier for others to comprehend and read your information. This helps prospective buyers to locate the relevant data they need to make an informed decision. It helps you keep your data well-organized and helps avoid errors.

Some companies divide their investor data room into different documents based on where they are in the process. If you are seeking to raise your initial round of funding, you may want withhold certain information until an investor has confirmed their interest in pursuing the project.

It’s tempting to share as much information as you can. However, the information you share must be part of the overall narrative. The story will differ based on the stage in which your company is in, but it should always contain the key factors driving your current performance. For example, a seed-stage startup may concentrate on market trends changes in regulation, as well as your team, whereas companies in the my sources growth stage might focus on customer references, revenue traction and product growth.