Nice article bt Y-combinator on lessons on seed funding
Startup companies need to purchase equipment, rent offices, and hire staff. More importantly, they need to grow. In almost every case they will require outside capital to do these things. The initial capital raised by a company is typically called “seed” capital. This brief guide is a summary of what startup founders need to know about raising the seed funds critical to getting their company off the ground. This is not intended to be a complete guide to fundraising. It includes only the basic knowledge most founders will need.