• VCs want $3-5M rounds minimum — $1M is "not worth the board seat paperwork"
• Will drag you through 6-8 weeks of "partnership meetings" while they "check references"
• Will demand a board seat for $1M — unacceptable (lose control for pocket change)
• Hate Estonian companies (tax structuring headache for their LPs)
Angels instead:
• Write $100-300k checks based on 1 Zoom call
• No board seats, no control, just advice when you ask
• Understand Estonian e-Residency
• Close in 5 days via wire transfer, not 5 weeks via legal committee