Funding announcements are tricky right now.
Everyone is raising, everyone is building in AI, and everyone is saying they’re “redefining” something. Just announcing a seed round is usually not enough these days.
On this episode of The Press Playbook, I sat down with Emily Amodeo, Senior Account Manager at BAM, to talk about how she helped her client, VoiceRun, land a placement in the Boston Business Journal.
What made this one work was not just the $5.5M seed round; it was the angle.
When the funding alone isn’t sticking
At first, the team tried locking in an exclusive around the funding itself, but it wasn’t gaining traction.
And honestly, that’s happening more and more. There’s just a lot of noise right now.
So instead of forcing it, they stepped back and asked a better question:
What’s the bigger story here?
Make it about more than one company
VoiceRun isn’t just an AI company. It’s part of a growing voice AI movement happening in Boston.
There are other companies in the region building in the same space. There’s momentum. There’s a real story about Boston becoming a hub for voice AI.
Now you’re not pitching “Company raises $5.5M.”
You’re pitching “Boston is becoming a serious voice AI center and here’s one of the companies leading it.”
That’s a much more interesting story for a local business publication.
Keep the pitch tight
Emily kept the pitch simple: Two to three paragraphs max.
The subject line clearly called out the Boston AI angle and the exclusive seed round. The first few lines focused on the industry trend before diving into the funding.
Reporters decide quickly if they’re going to keep reading. Leading with context instead of just the raise makes a difference.
Bring in the right voices
Once the reporter showed interest, he wanted to speak not only with the CEO but also with the lead investor.
That added depth to the story.
When your investor can speak to the bigger market shift, it makes the piece feel more substantial and less like a standalone funding blurb.
Flexibility matters
Another small but important detail: The team didn’t push a hard deadline. They offered flexibility on timing.
That tone matters. It shows you’re collaborative, not transactional.
What founders should take away from this
If you’re announcing funding and struggling to stand out, here’s the real takeaway:
Funding alone is rarely enough anymore.
You need:
- a bigger industry trend
- a strong local or ecosystem angle
- a tight, clear pitch
- the right reporter
- and ideally, your lead investor ready to speak
When you combine funding with real context, the story becomes stronger.
And that’s what cuts through.
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