Receiving your funding round without bounced or delayed wires

Closing a round is the easy part to celebrate. Actually getting the money into your account is where founders hit avoidable snags: a wire that bounces back to the investor, a transfer stuck in review, or a payment held up because one detail did not match. This guide covers how to set yourself up so the money arrives cleanly the first time.

None of this is complicated, but a small mistake can add days while everyone chases the funds.

The exact details to give an investor

An investor sending you money needs a complete and accurate set of account details. Send these in writing, ideally copied directly from your account rather than typed from memory.

• The account name exactly as it appears on your account — usually your registered company name.
• For an international wire, the IBAN and SWIFT/BIC for the relevant currency.
• For a domestic transfer, the local routing details (for example sort code and account number, or the equivalent in that country).
• The currency you want to receive, so the investor sends in the matching currency where possible.

If your account holds more than one currency, give the investor the details for the specific currency they are sending, not a generic set.

Why wires bounce on a name mismatch

The single most common reason an incoming wire is rejected or delayed is that the account name the investor entered does not match the name on your account. A wire to ‘Acme’ when the account is registered as ‘Acme Technologies Ltd’ can be enough to trip a check.

To avoid it:

• Share the account name exactly, including the legal suffix (Ltd, Inc, GmbH, and so on).
• Ask the investor to use the registered company name, not a trading name or an abbreviation.
• Double-check the IBAN or account number for transposed digits before sending it on.

How long an incoming wire takes to clear

Timing depends on the route and the currencies involved. A domestic transfer in a major currency often arrives the same or next business day. An international wire that has to pass through intermediary providers can take a few business days, and cut-off times and weekends add to that.

A few things that slow a wire down: sending late in the day, sending across time zones, sending in a currency that needs conversion, and any detail that needs to be confirmed before the funds are released. Building in a buffer of a few business days around any deadline is sensible.

What to expect if a large payment is reviewed

A large incoming payment into a young company is a normal event, and providers may take a closer look as part of routine checks. This is standard practice and not a sign anything is wrong.

You may be asked to confirm where the money has come from — for example a copy of the signed investment agreement, a SAFE, or a term sheet, and details of the investor. Having these ready before the wire lands means you can answer quickly and keep things moving.

How Altery fits

Altery gives you account details for receiving funds in multiple currencies, so you can share the right IBAN and SWIFT or local details for the way your investor wants to send. You can see incoming payments as they arrive and hold the raise in the currency it came in until you are ready to use it.

Frequently asked questions