Your criteria are what we match startups against, so they decide what reaches you and what doesn't.
What are investment criteria?
Everything you're looking for in a startup. Sectors, stage, cheque size, location, and anything else that matters to you.
Some of these are essential and some are preferences, and the two work differently.
What's the difference between essential and preferred criteria?
Essential criteria are a hard line. A startup that doesn't meet them can't apply to you at all.
Preferred criteria shape how well a startup fits rather than ruling anyone out. They help us rank the startups in your deal flow, so that the best fit startups come to you first.
How do I set my criteria?
Through a short interview when you first join the platform. You answer in your own words rather than picking from lists, and it takes around 15 minutes.
It covers everything above, and digs into anything that needs to be more specific.
Why does the interview need so much information?
Because vague criteria makes for vague deal flow.
If you tell us you invest in high-tech businesses, it'll ask what you mean by that. IP rich? Needs a patent? The more specific you are, the more relevant the startups that reach you.
Can I stop the interview partway through?
Yes, whenever you like. Nothing is lost, and you can come back to it when it suits you.
How do I change my criteria later?
Whenever you like, and you do it yourself.
Go to Preferences and click Edit preferences. A chat opens, and you tell it what you'd like to change in your own words, the same way you set your criteria in the first place. There's no need to redo the whole interview, just say what's moved on.
If a change is conflicting with something else you've told us, the interviewer will flag it there and then, to check what you meant.
When does a criteria change take effect?
New applications only. Anything already in your deal flow stays exactly as it is.
It can also take a little while to show. If a startup had already applied under your old criteria, their application can still come through, so don't be surprised by one that doesn't quite fit the change you've just made.
If you were working with ThatRound before 17th August 2026
Your existing investment criteria will carry over, and the first thing you'll see when you log in to the platform for the first time is your criteria, with a prompt to check them over and approve or make any edits.
Can I control how strictly you apply them?
Yes. There's more on that in Matching strictness.