# Know where every referred deal came from

> To track VC referrals, record each deal's source when it arrives instead of reconstructing it later. In Delsivo's pilot, you give co-investors, portfolio founders and friends of the fund private referral links to your branded portal, so applications arrive tagged with the link they came through. Dedicated scout links with per-scout attribution, and relationship mapping, are planned for a later release.

Source: https://delsivo.com/use-cases/scout-and-referral-deal-flow · Updated 2026-11-06 · Planned, not available yet

## Key takeaways

- Private referral links on your portal tag each application with its source (Pilot).
- Deals introduced by email can be created by an analyst, who notes where they came from.
- Referred deals go through the same rubric. A referral only counts if you make it a weighted preference.
- Scout links, an intake mailbox and relationship mapping are planned for later.

## Why referral sources get lost

A warm introduction arrives as a forwarded email, a message on a phone or a mention at a dinner. The deck gets saved, the founder gets a reply, and the name of the person who sent it is forgotten by the second meeting. A year on, the fund can't say which co-investors or founders send deals worth meeting, or thank the people who did.

## Referral links today, scout links later

Ways deals arrive, and what each records

| Route | Who uses it | What it records | Release |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Public application link | Founders who find your website | That the application came through the public link | Pilot |
| Private referral link | Co-investors, portfolio founders, friends of the fund | Which referral link the application came through | Pilot |
| Analyst-created record | Introductions by email or in person | The source an analyst notes on the deal | Pilot |
| Scout link | Each scout in a scout programme | Which scout sent the deal | Later |
| Intake mailbox | Anyone forwarding a pitch to a fund address | The forwarded email as the source | Later |

## How to track VC referrals in Delsivo

1. Create a private referral link for each group of referrers you want to tell apart, such as co-investors and portfolio founders.
2. Share each link with that group. Founders who use it see your branded portal like anyone else.
3. Applications arrive tagged with the link they came through, and the source stays on the deal through every stage.
4. For introductions by email, an analyst creates the deal and records the referrer.
5. When a referred deal advances or passes, the reason is recorded like any other, so you can later see what each source produced.

## Treat referred deals the same way

A warm introduction is a signal, but it is also one of the ways a fund's networks shape who gets a meeting. In Delsivo a referral doesn't change a deal's screening unless you make it a weighted preference in your rubric, and if you do, it shows up as a named criterion with its weight. Founders without a connection to your network go through the same rubric as those with one.

## Scout programmes and relationship mapping

Planned for a later release: scout links with attribution per scout, relationship mapping that shows who in your network knows a founder, and conflict review. Delsivo won't handle scout payments or carry: fund accounting is out of scope.

If you run a scout programme today, one private referral link per scout gives you basic attribution in the pilot.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a referrer see the deals they sent?

No. A referral link doesn't give the referrer access to anything. If you want a scout or co-investor to see a deal, share it with them as a guest expert, which arrives in the first release.

### Can we pay scouts through Delsivo?

No. Payments to scouts, carry and other fund accounting are out of scope. Delsivo records where deals came from, not what anyone is owed.

### Does a referral move a deal up the queue?

Only if your rubric gives referrals a weight. Then it appears as a named criterion in the fit report, so everyone can see it counted.

## Related pages

- [White-label portals](https://delsivo.com/white-label-portals)
- [Delsivo for seed funds](https://delsivo.com/for/seed-funds)
- [Inbound application screening](https://delsivo.com/use-cases/inbound-application-screening)
- [Scout and referral links](https://delsivo.com/features/scout-and-referral-links)
- [Inbound vs outbound deal flow](https://delsivo.com/inbound-vs-outbound-deal-flow)