Rampersand’s Post

The trend towards smaller seed rounds among YC startups reflects a strategic shift to minimize dilution while preserving higher valuations, though it poses challenges for securing institutional backing. This approach underscores the evolving dynamics in early-stage fundraising, where agility and lean capital strategies are becoming essential. #StartupStrategy #SeedRounds #EarlyStageVC #AgileFunding #TechStartups

I get asked by founders whether they should raise a small round now and then go for a bigger one or just go for it now. Go for it now. Raise as much as you can from the investors you can find. You need runway and the market remains funky (unless you’re a billionaire trying to raise money). Get out there. Connect with investors. Get lots of runway. Startups Take Longer To Close Rounds, As Funding Cliff Looms

🌍🚀 Exciting News for Startups! Zerobase is teaming up with NZVC to launch a $100 million VC fund aimed at supporting innovative founders and bringing global businesses to Aotearoa🎉 This partnership is all about empowering startup founders—whether you're in New Zealand or across the world—with the resources, mentorship, and connections you need to scale your big ideas. 💡✨ From helping first-time founders break into the startup space to bridging global gaps for innovators in places like Korea, this initiative is here to make raising capital and building a successful business more accessible. I’m particularly inspired by the vision of creating a virtuous cycle—where experienced founders share their knowledge and help emerging talent thrive. It's exactly what the startup world needs! 🌟 Want to learn more? READ HERE: https://lnkd.in/gGtypqQe Whether you're a founder with a dream, an investor looking to support game-changing ideas, or just someone passionate about innovation—this is a big step forward for the startup ecosystem. Let’s get building! #ZeroBase #Season3

A McKinsey study found that 70% of digital transformation initiatives fail due to misaligned teams and poor organization. OrgOrg (YC S24) is directly addressing this challenge by providing a productivity suite designed to help teams stay organized, connected, and efficient as they scale. With over 1,000 customers already, OrgOrg has quickly earned recognition as one of the top startups to watch, according to TechCrunch. The company is led by Wayne Crosby, a founder with a proven track record. His first startup, Zenter, was acquired by Google and became Google Slides. His second venture, Humu, was acquired last year. Crosby has also been a Visiting Partner at Y Combinator for the past year, sharing his expertise with up and coming startups. We’re excited to announce that Exitfund has proudly joined OrgOrg (YC S24)’s funding round, alongside major players like Y Combinator, Broom Ventures, Pioneer Fund, Rebel Fund. If you are building a B2B Startup and looking for investors, get in touch with our lead analyst Manish Kumar. #startup #startupfunding #ycombinator #failedstartups #Google #googleslides #rebelfund #venturecapital #vcfunding

Thrive Capital, led by Joshua Kushner, has successfully raised $5 billion across two new funds, marking the firm’s largest fundraising effort to date. This includes $1 billion for Thrive Capital Partners IX, with additional capital for an unnamed fund. The firm’s focus remains on early- and growth-stage investments, particularly in AI-driven startups, signaling its strategic commitment to advancing technology. Thrive’s portfolio includes significant investments in leading companies like OpenAI, Stripe, Instagram, GitHub, and Spotify, highlighting its influence across the tech landscape. As Kushner notes, the forthcoming technological breakthroughs will be unlike anything seen before, emphasizing Thrive’s forward-looking investment strategy. This capital raise not only strengthens Thrive Capital’s position but also reflects strong investor confidence in its approach. Congratulations to Josh Kushner and the Thrive team for this milestone, which further solidifies their role in shaping the future of technology. #VentureCapital #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Startups #StartupFunding #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Growth #Technology #Software #TechEcosystem

This is good news for startups ready for their Series A. "Back in 2010, corporates were by no means a go-to investor for European startups, accounting for just 10% of the funding they raised. Nowadays, the picture is quite different; so far, in 2024, corporates account for over a quarter of startup funding, in terms of volume of capital invested, according to data platform Dealroom — a huge uptick in interest." I'm in the middle of raising Into-it's seed round. Do let me know if you'd like to see the deck. https://lnkd.in/efbRaVw2

For sure, both tech and non-tech startups are interesting in terms of investing. And just like the first ones, the second requires you to understand all the advantages and disadvantages before you can make your funding move. Here's the good part: 👍 Non-tech startups cover a wide range of sectors, so you can easily diversify your portfolio. 👍 Non-tech startups are more geographically diverse, so investing in them opens access to opportunities worldwide. 👍 Business models of non-tech startups are usually more established and predictable. Here's what can be challenging: 👎 Non-tech startups tend to have lower upside and scale a bit slowly. 👎 Non-tech startups require investors to have specific knowledge of the industry they're working with. 👎 Non-tech startups often require more upfront capital both to start and to scale. But all those challenges can be easily turned into advantages. All you need is careful due diligence and domain experts as your partners. #opsworksventures #funding #investment #tipsandtricks #nontechstartups

If you're a Founder raising your Seed round, you need to know this 🔻 While the Venture Capital market is showing positive signs of recovery, early-stage startups are still facing extended timelines between rounds and an increased reliance on bridge financing to stretch their runway. Recent data shows that most companies raising a Series A are taking nearly two years to do so, with only around 15% of Seed-funded startups successfully making it to Series A. That's almost half of what it was pre-pandemic 😳. I recently heard a founder at a pitch event tell investors, "We’ve got about 1.5 years of runway, so we're good for now." While that might sound reassuring, it made me raise my eyebrows 🤨 Now, they might be fine, but I always say: prepare for the worst and hope for the best. As a founder, you should always keep a pulse on the fundraising landscape and be ready for any shifts in the market, even when things seem stable. Despite the uptick in capital raised and fewer down rounds, Seed-stage founders must carefully manage their resources to survive these longer intervals between funding rounds. If you’ve just raised, or are in the process of raising your Seed, aim for at least two years of runway—conservatively 🛫 Of course, each startup's path varies, and your specific situation may differ based on a range of factors. Staying adaptable and well-prepared is 🔑 Here are some free resources📊 to check out: https://lnkd.in/gJ9J7tcX https://lnkd.in/gr283tKf https://lnkd.in/gvSYA3ZE 👉 How are you planning to manage your runway in this market?👈

🚀 Superhero Capital Launches €50M Fund to Empower Visionary Founders 🌟 Superhero Capital, a Helsinki-based VC firm, has unveiled its €50M fourth fund to support early-stage software startups across Finland and the Baltics. With a focus on transformative tech, this marks a bold step in empowering founders to drive meaningful change. 🌍 Expanding into Lithuania, the team welcomes partners Gytenis Galkis and Audrius Milukas whose local expertise strengthens the Baltic startup ecosystem. 🔐 Early investments include CyberUpgrade (€2.5M) and Behavix (€1.6M), aligning with Superhero’s mission to fund startups reducing manual work and amplifying creativity. 💡 A question to the Superhero Capital team: How do you ensure your approach to founder support stays innovative while scaling across regions? Gytenis Galkis Audrius Milukas Milda Milaknytė Juozapas Zabulis Jussi Harvela #fund

Female-founded startups have raised $15.5 billion so far this year, but that’s not really good news- https://lnkd.in/eGdUbqNS I keep trying to have this conversation. But nobody seems to be hearing it. No worries. Let's start here- The Mogul Chix® Guide to Getting VC Funding- https://lnkd.in/eGsuVt8S Then let's talk about those important next steps.