Understanding Fit Scores
Fit Scores help founders decide which investors deserve their time. Metal first creates a focused group of relevant investors, then ranks that group using the evidence available for that founder and round.
The three Fit Score statuses
Ranked
The investor is relevant to the founder and has a complete, confidence-backed rank.
Provisional
The investor was scored, but the available evidence is limited. Treat it as useful direction rather than a strong signal.
Not scored yet
The investor is outside the founder’s ranked pool. Check the three common reasons below before answering.
Why an investor may not be scored
The fundraising profile is incomplete
Metal needs the founder’s stage, sector, geography, raise, company details, and investor preferences to build a useful ranking.
There is not enough reliable investor data
This is common for angels, newer firms, or investors with little recent activity. Metal avoids presenting a confident-looking guess.
The investor may not fit the round
The investor may not match the founder’s stage, sector, geography, or current fundraising needs. Their profile can help confirm this.
What the founder can do
- Complete the fundraising profileThis is the most important step and the starting point for the ranking.
- Add existing investorsThis adds context about current backers and likely investor relationships.
- Add supporting contextConnecting email and adding a deck or meeting transcripts can make the result sharper.
- Review the investor profileCheck whether the investor actually backs the founder’s stage, sector, or geography.
What resellers should avoid promising
- No coverage datesDo not promise when a specific investor will receive a rank.
- No scoring internalsDo not share algorithms, weights, thresholds, or private data sources.
- No defect framing“Not scored yet” reflects honest evidence and relevance, rather than a confident guess.
- No refresh promisesDo not commit to a particular re-scoring schedule or trigger.
Common customer questions
“Why isn’t this well-known fund scored?”
Brand recognition is different from fit. A famous fund may still be outside the founder’s stage, sector, geography, or current round.
“Can you score this investor for me?”
Manual ranking is planned, but it may not change the outcome if the investor does not fit or there is not enough reliable information.
“How many investors in my imported list will be scored?”
It depends on how closely the imported list overlaps the founder’s relevant investor pool, so resellers should not promise a percentage.
“Can I trust a Provisional score?”
Use it as directional guidance, but treat it as a weaker signal than a complete rank because the supporting evidence is limited.