Using Press & Media to Attract Investors: A Guide for Tech Startups

You built a great product. Now, how do you get people to notice it?

Most successful startups, whether in AI, SaaS, or deep tech, need to not just build great products; they need to tell compelling stories that investors and the media cannot ignore. 

A strong media presence is all about getting your name out there. It can speed up fundraising and open doors you didn’t even know existed. According to Forbes, a solid PR campaign is 90% more effective than advertising when it comes to building brand value and driving sales.
But how do you get in the news? How do you create moments that grab attention and build credibility? This guide will show you real strategies, case studies, and everything else you need to turn media coverage into a growth engine for your company.

Why Do Startups Need PR Before Fundraising? 

Investors fund companies they believe in. And belief comes from credibility, visibility, and authority. 

Think about it. You’re a startup founder preparing for a big fundraising round. You’ve built something incredible. You’ve got traction. Your numbers are solid. But when investors search for your company, they find no media coverage. It’s like walking into a pitch meeting without an introduction.

This is why PR matters before you raise funds. It builds the trust you need before you even step into the room.

Credibility

Startups don’t have the luxury of time. You need to prove your value fast. Third-party validation, like news articles, media mentions, and industry features, tell the world you’re worth paying attention to. It’s one thing to say your product is changing the game. But the right media coverage makes you look legit. It tells investors that others have vetted you, customers trust you, and your industry sees you as a real player.

Visibility 

You can have the best product in the world, but if no one hears about it, it might as well not exist. Investors don’t go searching for hidden gems; they notice startups that are already in the conversation. PR helps you show up in the right places: tech blogs, startup features, industry reports, and so on. They put you on the radar of investors who are constantly scanning for their next bet. If they’ve already heard of you before you pitch, you’ve won half the battle.

Authority

Investors look at founders, too. They want to know if you understand the market, if you have a vision, if you’re the kind of leader who can take a company from startup to success. PR helps you establish authority through guest articles, thought leadership pieces, and interviews that position you as an expert in your field. Instead of just being another founder looking for funds, you become someone worth listening to.

Staying in the Spotlight: How to Keep Your Company in the News

In this section, we’ll break down how you can generate news that matters, keep a steady PR flow, and have a handy checklist to ensure your startup stays visible and relevant.

1. Create News That Matters

Not all announcements are newsworthy. If your update doesn’t spark interest or add value, it’s just noise. The best way to get media coverage is to create moments that people want to talk about. 

A product launch is an obvious choice. It becomes news when it solves a real problem, disrupts the market, or introduces something completely new. Investors and journalists won’t care that you launched Version 2.0 of your product. But they will care if you introduce a first-of-its-kind AI tool that slashes costs for enterprises or a feature that changes how users interact with your platform.

If you’ve noticed, big companies like Apple or OpenAI build anticipation and control the narrative. They make people want to talk about their products. Any company can do the same by creating exclusivity, offering early access to key media, and framing the launch as an industry shift, not just another update.

Celebrate Funding & Milestones

Funding news is all about showing momentum and future potential. When you announce a funding round, highlight:

• What the investment means for your company (expansion, hiring, R&D).
• Why investors believe in you (market opportunity, traction, vision).
• What’s next (growth plans, product roadmap, industry impact).

This turns your funding announcement into a story that media outlets actually want to cover. But don’t stop there. Major hires, strategic partnerships, user growth milestones—these are all signals of success. 

Earn Industry Recognition

Winning an award or speaking at a major event puts you in front of the right audience. Startups that consistently win recognition become trusted industry players. If you’re in AI, fintech, or SaaS, securing a feature at NASSCOM, SaaStr, or TechSparks adds weight to your brand.

2. PR Must Be a Continuous Activity

Startups that stay relevant keep staying in the news, for weeks, months, even years. One big media win isn’t enough. If you’re not consistently putting your brand in front of the right audience, someone else will.

If your startup gets covered in say the Economic Times or YourStory, that’s great. But if months go by with no updates, that media win fades fast. PR is about continuity–you need to keep reminding people why you matter.

Plan a Steady News Flow

• Spread out your announcements instead of dropping everything at once.
• Mix different types of news—product launches, partnerships, funding updates, and thought leadership pieces.
• Use social media and your blog to extend the reach of media mentions.

The goal is to create multiple touchpoints where people keep seeing your name. That’s how you go from a one-time headline to an industry leader.

3. A Checklist to Keep Your PR Strong

1. Know Who You’re Talking To – Your messaging should fit the audience. Investors care about growth and market potential. Customers want to know how your product solves their problem. Journalists need a compelling angle. Tailor your story accordingly.
2. Be Ready for Any Situation – Not all press is good press. If a negative story surfaces or a crisis hits, you need a plan. Have clear messaging, address concerns directly, and control the narrative before it controls you.
3. Go Beyond Traditional Media – PR isn’t just about news articles. Build your presence on YouTube, industry podcasts, and community forums. Thoughtful engagement in the right spaces makes a bigger impact than a one-off press release.

Case Studies: Indian Startups That Mastered the PR Game

In this section, we’ll explore how startups like Swiggy and Recykal used strategic PR to attract investors and scale faster.

How Swiggy Used PR to Scale and Secure Funding

In 2014, Swiggy, an Indian food delivery startup, entered a battle. The food delivery space was already crowded. Zomato had brand recognition, local players controlled last-mile logistics, investors were skeptical about profitability. Getting noticed wasn’t going to be easy. Swiggy needed to stand out—not just for customers but for investors, too.

Swiggy positioned itself as India’s first hyperlocal, on-demand food delivery service with no minimum order. That wasn’t just a business model, it was a PR hook. It gave journalists a reason to cover them. Instead of being “another food delivery startup,” Swiggy was the company solving the last-mile challenge with a tech-first approach.

Media Coverage That Built Investor Confidence

Swiggy didn’t wait for investors to take notice. It made sure they saw its growth story everywhere. The Economic Times, YourStory, Inc42, Moneycontrol, and Business Standard ran stories on Swiggy’s expansion, highlighting its fast-growing user base and restaurant partnerships. Every funding round was covered in top-tier media, signaling momentum.

The Impact of PR on Growth and Fundraising

Swiggy’s consistent PR efforts reassured investors that it had a solid business model, strong demand, and the ability to scale.

• Early funding rounds from Accel, Norwest Venture Partners, and SAIF Partners were backed by visible market traction.
• By 2024, Swiggy had raised $1.25 billion in its IPO planning phase.
• Millions of users joined the platform as media coverage created trust and awareness.

Recykal: Spreading the Story of Mission-Driven Waste Management 

For most startups, PR is about getting customers and investors to notice them. For Recykal, a tech-driven waste management platform, PR had an even bigger role, educating the market, making industry conversations, and positioning itself as a leader in sustainability.

Recykal had built a digital waste management ecosystem that connected businesses, recyclers, and government bodies. That narrative caught the media’s attention. The Times of India and The Economic Times covered its impact to show how technology was solving India’s massive waste problem.

Recykal won the 3R Award for Excellence in Waste Management and the Digital India Award for rolling out India’s first digital deposit refund system in Uttarakhand. These recognitions were attractive bets for investors.

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Recykal’s consistent media presence helped secure $22 million from Morgan Stanley. The company expanded rapidly, now collaborating with 620+ brands, 675 recyclers, 12,000 businesses, and 5,000 service providers.

Things to Remember

An effective PR campaign shows how people perceive your startup. Here are some golden rules to remember: 

• Press Mentions – Get featured in top business newspapers (Economic Times, Mint, Business Standard) and leading tech platforms (YourStory, Inc42, The Ken) to boost credibility.
• Tier of Publications – A mention in Forbes India, ET, or Moneycontrol carries more weight than smaller blogs. Top-tier media signals industry leadership.
• Brand Name Search Volume – If more people are googling your startup’s name, your PR strategy is doing its job.
• Domain Authority (DA) Growth – High-quality media backlinks from trusted news sites improve your SEO rankings, making your brand easier to find.
• Conference Invitations – Strong PR gets you invited to NASSCOM, TiE Summit, TechSparks, and other industry events, where investors and decision-makers pay attention.

How Superteams Can Help 

We handle PR, so that you can build!

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• We Handle the Media Outreach – Stop chasing journalists. We connect your brand with top-tier publications like YourStory, Inc42, VCCircle, Forbes, Fortune, Business Today, The Economic Times, and more so your story reaches the right audience.
• Press Releases That Get Noticed – We create content that is newsworthy, media-friendly, and aligned with what journalists expect. 
• Positioning You As an Industry Leader – We help founders and executives publish thought leadership pieces, guest articles, and expert insights to build credibility.
• Long-Term PR, Not Just One-Time Hits – We create a content roadmap that keeps your startup in the news consistently, ensuring long-term visibility.

Why Choose Superteams?

• We understand tech startups and AI-driven businesses. And yes, we speak your brand language.
• We combine storytelling with deep technical expertise to make your brand stand out.
• Our PR strategy builds visibility, trust, and engagement that actually drives growth. 

Key Takeaways

• PR builds long-term credibility and trust.
• Startups with a strong media presence attract investors faster and stand out in competitive markets.
• Consistent press coverage, thought leadership, and storytelling keep your brand relevant.
• The right PR strategy positions you as an industry leader before you even start fundraising.

Next Steps

The earlier you invest in a solid media strategy, the easier it becomes to attract investors, customers, and get industry recognition.

Ready to put your PR strategy into action?

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