Series A Press Release Script: The TechCrunch Format
last updated: Feb 17, 2026
Breaking the silence after a Series A raise is a high-stakes moment. Here is the exact script and strategy to ensure your announcement lands.
TL;DR: The Cheat Code
A Series A press release script isn't just a PDF you blast to 500 emails; it’s a strategic asset designed to hand-feed journalists the exact narrative, quotes, and data points required to cover a funding round. Unlike a seed announcement, this focuses heavily on metrics, the lead investor's validation, and a specific "use of funds" plan.
Key Bullets:
How to read this: Use this script to structure your announcement, then reference our comprehensive press release guide for distribution tactics.
Key Bullets:
- Benchmark: Series A rounds typically range between $8M and $15M, with the median sitting around $10M according to Carta's Q1 2025 data. Ensure your valuation justifies the raise.
- Rule: Lead with the "Why Now" narrative, not just the money.
- Warning: Don't copy-paste raw ChatGPT outputs for investor quotes. They sound like hallucinations, and journalists will ignore them.
How to read this: Use this script to structure your announcement, then reference our comprehensive press release guide for distribution tactics.
Glossary
- The Lede: The first sentence of the release. It must state the company, amount raised, lead investor, and the core problem being solved.
- Use of Funds: A specific section detailing how the capital will be deployed (e.g., doubling the engineering team, launching in Europe).
- Embargo: The agreement with a journalist to share the news before the official release date, usually 48-72 hours in advance.
How to use the TechCrunch Format
You’ve wired the money, signed the term sheet, and now you have exactly one shot to get the narrative right. This script gives you the narrative-driven structure journalists actually read, skipping the corporate fluff that gets deleted immediately.
This script follows the "inverted pyramid" structure preferred by tech reporters. It prioritizes the hard news (who, what, how much) before getting into the "why" and background details. If you are looking for a broader B2B press release template, start there, but for Series A, stick to the format below.
This script follows the "inverted pyramid" structure preferred by tech reporters. It prioritizes the hard news (who, what, how much) before getting into the "why" and background details. If you are looking for a broader B2B press release template, start there, but for Series A, stick to the format below.
The Asset (Copy This)
Instruction: Copy this into a Google Doc, replace the bracketed text, and export as PDF for your media kit.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[Date of Announcement]
HEADLINE: [Company Name] Raises $[Amount] Series A to [Action Verb] the [Industry Name] Industry
SUB-HEADLINE: Round led by [Lead Investor Firm] will fuel [Specific Product Expansion] and aggressive hiring in [Location/Department].
[CITY, State] — [Date] — [Company Name], the [Category Creator/Leader] helping [Target Audience] [Core Benefit], today announced it has raised $[Amount] in Series A funding. The round was led by [Lead Investor Firm], with participation from [Existing Investor 1], [Existing Investor 2], and [Notable Angel Investor]. This brings the company’s total funding to $[Total Raised Amount] to date.
THE PROBLEM (The Hook)
Legacy solutions in [Industry] have forced companies to rely on [Old Mechanism], resulting in [Pain Point 1] and [Pain Point 2]. As [Industry Trend] accelerates, the market has reached a breaking point where manual workflows and [Old Tech] are no longer sustainable.
THE SOLUTION & TRACTION
[Company Name] solves this by [Core Mechanism/Secret Sauce]. Since launching in [Year], the platform has processed over [Number] transactions/data points and serves [Number range, e.g., 500-600] enterprise customers, including [Client A] and [Client B].
"We are not just building a better tool; we are rewriting the operating system for [Industry]," said [Founder Name], CEO of [Company Name]. "This capital allows us to move from product-market fit to aggressive scale. We are doubling down on [Specific Feature] because our customers are demanding [Specific Outcome]."
THE VALIDATION (Investor Quote)
"We see hundreds of pitches in the [Industry] space, but [Company Name] stood out immediately because of [Specific Metric or Insight]," said [Partner Name], General Partner at [Lead Investor Firm]. "[Founder Name] has built an engine that turns [Input] into [Output] with incredible efficiency. We are thrilled to back them as they become the category leader."
USE OF FUNDS
The new capital will be used to:
1. Triple the engineering team, specifically in [AI/Infrastructure].
2. Accelerate the roadmap for [Upcoming Product Feature].
3. Expand go-to-market operations into [New Region or Vertical].
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[Company Name] is the leading platform for [Category]. Trusted by [Number] companies, it helps teams [Main Benefit]. Headquartered in [City], the company is backed by [List Investors]. For more information, visit [Website URL].
MEDIA CONTACT
[Name]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number - Optional]
[Link to Media Kit/Images]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
[Date of Announcement]
HEADLINE: [Company Name] Raises $[Amount] Series A to [Action Verb] the [Industry Name] Industry
SUB-HEADLINE: Round led by [Lead Investor Firm] will fuel [Specific Product Expansion] and aggressive hiring in [Location/Department].
[CITY, State] — [Date] — [Company Name], the [Category Creator/Leader] helping [Target Audience] [Core Benefit], today announced it has raised $[Amount] in Series A funding. The round was led by [Lead Investor Firm], with participation from [Existing Investor 1], [Existing Investor 2], and [Notable Angel Investor]. This brings the company’s total funding to $[Total Raised Amount] to date.
THE PROBLEM (The Hook)
Legacy solutions in [Industry] have forced companies to rely on [Old Mechanism], resulting in [Pain Point 1] and [Pain Point 2]. As [Industry Trend] accelerates, the market has reached a breaking point where manual workflows and [Old Tech] are no longer sustainable.
THE SOLUTION & TRACTION
[Company Name] solves this by [Core Mechanism/Secret Sauce]. Since launching in [Year], the platform has processed over [Number] transactions/data points and serves [Number range, e.g., 500-600] enterprise customers, including [Client A] and [Client B].
"We are not just building a better tool; we are rewriting the operating system for [Industry]," said [Founder Name], CEO of [Company Name]. "This capital allows us to move from product-market fit to aggressive scale. We are doubling down on [Specific Feature] because our customers are demanding [Specific Outcome]."
THE VALIDATION (Investor Quote)
"We see hundreds of pitches in the [Industry] space, but [Company Name] stood out immediately because of [Specific Metric or Insight]," said [Partner Name], General Partner at [Lead Investor Firm]. "[Founder Name] has built an engine that turns [Input] into [Output] with incredible efficiency. We are thrilled to back them as they become the category leader."
USE OF FUNDS
The new capital will be used to:
1. Triple the engineering team, specifically in [AI/Infrastructure].
2. Accelerate the roadmap for [Upcoming Product Feature].
3. Expand go-to-market operations into [New Region or Vertical].
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[Company Name] is the leading platform for [Category]. Trusted by [Number] companies, it helps teams [Main Benefit]. Headquartered in [City], the company is backed by [List Investors]. For more information, visit [Website URL].
MEDIA CONTACT
[Name]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number - Optional]
[Link to Media Kit/Images]
Benchmarks
When drafting your Series A release, you need to align your metrics with market reality. If you claim to be a market leader but your numbers don't match the benchmark, reporters will pass.
Sample Math: The Outreach Funnel
If your goal is to secure 5 pieces of coverage for your Series A announcement:
- Raise Size: The median Series A round is currently sitting around $10M, with a typical range of $8M–$15M. If you are raising significantly less, frame it as a "strategic round" rather than a weak Series A.
- Journalist Response Rate: Expect a response rate of roughly 3.43% on cold pitches. This data from Propel's Media Barometer highlights that the vast majority of pitches are ignored.
Sample Math: The Outreach Funnel
If your goal is to secure 5 pieces of coverage for your Series A announcement:
- Response Rate: ~3.5% (Optimistic average for decent news).
- Conversion to Article: ~50% of responses will actually result in a published piece.
- Calculation: To get 5 articles, you need ~10 responses. To get 10 responses at a 3.5% rate, you need to pitch roughly 280-300 targeted journalists.
Series A vs Seed PR
Understanding the difference between a Seed announcement and a Series A announcement is crucial for your PR for startups strategy.
- Seed PR: Focuses on the Vision. The narrative is about the "Who" (Founders) and the "Why" (The Problem). Metrics are scarce, so you sell the dream and the pedigree of the team.
- Series A PR: Focuses on the Machine. The narrative is about the "How" (Growth Engine) and the "Data" (Traction). You must prove that the product-market fit is real. Journalists expect hard numbers: revenue growth (percentages are fine), customer counts, or data processed.
Risks
- The "Whoops" Leak: If you break an embargo (or a sloppy investor tweets too early), top-tier publications like TechCrunch will kill the story immediately. Keep the news locked down until the agreed time.
- The "ChatGPT" Quote: Journalists use AI tools to detect AI writing. If your investor quote reads like a generic LLM output ("We are thrilled to partner with this innovative team..."), it signals laziness and lack of genuine conviction.
- The Vanity Trap: Announcing a $15M raise when you have high churn is dangerous. A spotlight on your company invites scrutiny. If your product is leaky, the press release might bring in users who will churn quickly, publicly damaging your reputation.
Will a Series A script actually get you to $10k MRR?
No. By Series A, you should be well past $10k MRR—likely hitting $1M–$3M ARR. But the principle remains: Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.
You can execute this script perfectly and land in TechCrunch. But if your retention is poor, that traffic spike will vanish in 48 hours. This script is a tool for momentum, not a business model. Use it to validate your status, but remember: real revenue comes from solving problems, not getting likes on social media.
You can execute this script perfectly and land in TechCrunch. But if your retention is poor, that traffic spike will vanish in 48 hours. This script is a tool for momentum, not a business model. Use it to validate your status, but remember: real revenue comes from solving problems, not getting likes on social media.
FAQ
- You:How long should the investor quote be?Guide:Keep it under three sentences. Journalists often cut long quotes. Focus on why they invested (the market opportunity or the founder's unique insight), not generic praise like "we are happy to partner."
- You:When should I send this script to journalists?Guide:You should pitch under embargo 3-7 days before the official announcement. Do not blast this script out on the morning of the launch; you will get zero coverage.
- You:Do I need to include the valuation?Guide:No. Most private companies do not disclose valuation in the press release unless it is a "unicorn" status ($1B+) or a significant up-round that signals strength. However, disclosing it can help attract talent if the number is impressive.
No-BS guides
📉 Avg founder's probability: 12%
What if your startup is doomed to fail? ò_ô
You spent 5 minutes reading about tactics. Don't leave without checking if your current strategy can get you to $10K MRR in the next 90 days.