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How to

How to run a Series A data room

Standard folder structure, per-VC permissions, watermarks, 9-week timeline. 30 minutes to set up.

30 minutes to set up; 6-8 weeks to run·7 steps

Before you start

Prerequisites.

A signed term sheet or active conversations with prospective leads.
Documents ready (data room checklist below).
A VDR tool that supports folder permissions, NDA gates, watermarks, and audit logs.

Step by step

Walk through it.

1
Spin up a branded room
Create the room with your brand kit applied and a custom domain (e.g. data.acme.com).
2
Set up folder structure
Standard: 00 Overview (memo, one-pager), 01 Corporate (cap table, COI), 02 Financial (P&L, forecasts), 03 Product (roadmap, IP), 04 Sales/GTM (pipeline, churn cohort), 05 Team (org chart, bios), 06 Legal (key contracts).
3
Upload documents
Drag the folders. Auto-numbering keeps order consistent. Watermark, NDA, and audit log apply automatically.
4
Configure access tiers
Lead VC: full access. Partner: skip cap-table folder. Analyst: public deck + financials only. Set per-recipient permissions when inviting.
5
Enable click-through NDA
Require a mutual NDA acceptance before room access. The acceptance event is captured with timestamp, IP, device for audit.
6
Invite VCs
Send magic links — VCs get one-click access, no account creation needed. Track who's logged in, what they viewed, how long for.
7
Use analytics to time follow-ups
Heatmaps show which folder each partner spent time in. Slack alerts on second visits let you call within the hour. Quiet partners typically aren't engaging — re-pitch or move on.

Tips

Things experienced teams do.

Pre-stage the room before any term sheet — being able to share access immediately compresses the diligence cycle.
Add an AI Q&A bot scoped to the room so analysts can self-serve common questions.
Export the audit log monthly for board-level transparency.

FAQ

Common questions.

How many files in a typical Series A room?

150-250 files. M&A diligence rooms are larger (500-5,000).

How long does a Series A diligence cycle take?

6-8 weeks from data-room-access to closed term sheet, on average. Founders running on modern VDRs typically close 1-2 weeks faster.

Do I need a paid VDR?

Legacy VDRs cost $1,200-$10,000 per deal. Modern flat-fee alternatives (Dataroom, $9.99/month per Org + $5/seat (3 included)) include unlimited rooms with no per-deal fee.

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