In today’s investment landscape, artificial intelligence is changing the way venture capitalists conduct early-stage due diligence. And if you are a health tech founder preparing for your next raise, understanding how PR fits into that equation may be one of the most strategic decisions you can make.
Over the past decade, I have helped clients raise over $1 billion in venture capital and guided dozens of companies through successful acquisitions and exits. When it comes to PR and funding, especially in the high-stakes world of healthcare and digital health, this is not theory.
PR as an Input for AI and Investor Perception
Investors are no longer just reviewing your pitch deck or glancing at your LinkedIn profile. They are actively using tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to ask deeper questions: What is the market saying about this founder? What kind of attention is the company getting? Are they seen as credible? Are they relevant?
What those tools return is heavily influenced by your media presence, which is the part most founders miss. Public relations has emerged as a critical element in securing funding for startups, with its ability to shape narratives, build brand reputation, and attract investor attention.
It’s also about attracting the right investors because the wrong ones can slow your momentum, dilute your vision, or create friction in future rounds. This is why visibility and positioning are so important.
The Cost of Being Invisible
Not all funding is good funding. Especially in the early or growth stages, who you take a check from matters just as much as the check itself. Think about it. When a firm like Andreessen Horowitz or Bessemer Venture Partners is backing your company, certain doors do not just open. They stay open. That kind of association changes how you are perceived, how you are prioritized, and how quickly you can scale.
Funding is no longer just about innovation. It is about perception. And that is where most startups fall short.
They are solving critical problems and building solid technology, yet remaining silent.
There is no earned media, no public narrative, and no founder visibility. When it is time to raise again, they are invisible to the people who matter most.
Let me explain what is happening behind the scenes when you begin raising capital.
Investors are not just evaluating your pitch deck or your technology. They are vetting you publicly. They are Googling your name and searching your company. And more often now, they are using AI tools to do it for them.
So what happens when they do that?
If they find you quoted in Forbes, featured in HIT Consultant, or speaking on a panel covered by MedCity News, that sends a strong signal.
It tells them this founder is credible. They know how to market themselves in a way that positions them as an industry expert. This company is relevant. This team is building something the market is paying attention to.
But if they find nothing—no media, no context, no signal—that sends a message too. It suggests you are either too early, not relevant, or not gaining traction in the market. Even if that is not true, the absence of visibility creates doubt. Investors begin to wonder why no one is talking about you, and that hesitation can be enough to move on to the next opportunity. In a competitive space like health tech, silence does not just hurt your momentum. It can erase it entirely.
The Strategic Role of Earned Media
When a respected outlet writes about your company, that is third-party validation. It shows that what you are building matters beyond your internal team and your current investors. It signals that the industry is paying attention and that your work is gaining real traction.
If you are preparing for your next round, here is the reality: refining your pitch deck is only part of the equation. You also need to refine your public narrative.
Your story should be visible, credible, and strategically positioned in the media outlets your investors already know and trust. That visibility does not just build awareness—it builds confidence.
Earned media is not a vanity metric. It is not about hype. It is a growth lever.
In fact, it could be the difference between closing your next round or being overlooked entirely.
PR Builds Market Value, Not Just Buzz
When leveraged strategically, public relations becomes one of the few assets you actually control. And its impact is far-reaching.
It influences how AI tools present your company. It helps investors find and believe in your vision. It contributes to higher valuations by signaling traction and leadership. And it plays a role in shaping the narrative investors, analysts, and acquirers use to frame your opportunity.
In the right hands, PR does not just create noise. It creates market value. And in today’s capital environment, it may be one of the most underutilized assets on your cap table.
About Danielle Sabrina
Danielle Sabrina is an award-winning publicist and the founder of Society22, a Top 10 National PR Firm on Inc.’s Fastest Growing Companies, and ranked #5 Best Company in America by Entrepreneur Magazine.
