<p>Prior research on the influence of entrepreneurial passion on funding success has yielded inconsistent results, and researchers have called for further investigation into the contextual variables affecting this relationship. In response, this study employs social exchange theory to demonstrate that trustworthiness mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial passion and funding performance. Additionally, using bounded rationality theory, this study proposes that fund-seeker vs fund-provider similarity, and the quality of the venture idea, moderates both paths of the mediation model. We developed a funding pitch and had seven hundred respondents with funding experience evaluate it. Robust analyses validate the mediation hypothesis. However, the results exhibit that similarity moderates only the a-path, while quality moderates only the b-path. These findings suggest that passionate entrepreneurs should focus on exhibiting similarity to establish trust and emphasize venture quality once trust is established. Furthermore, post-hoc analyses reveal that different dimensions of entrepreneurial passion influence funding performance in distinct ways.</p>