Beginner fundraising
Angel Investor
An angel investor funds early-stage startups with personal capital for equity, typically before VCs participate. Many are former founders or operators.
#fundraising
31 results
Glossary
Intermediate fundraising
Bridge Round
A bridge round is a small financing to extend a startup's runway until a larger funding round or key milestone is reached.
Beginner finance
Burn Rate
Burn rate is the monthly rate at which a startup spends cash. It determines how much runway remains before the company must raise more money or turn profitable.
Intermediate equity
Cap Table
A cap table tracks who owns what in a startup — founders, investors, and employees — and how ownership changes across funding rounds.
Intermediate fundraising
Convertible Note
A convertible note is short-term startup debt with interest and a maturity date that converts into equity when a future priced round closes.
Intermediate fundraising
Down Round
A down round occurs when a startup raises capital at a lower valuation than its previous round, triggering dilution and anti-dilution.
Intermediate fundraising
Due Diligence
The structured investigation an investor conducts before closing a deal, covering financials, legal, product, team, and market validity.
Intermediate equity
Equity Dilution
Equity dilution occurs when a startup issues new shares, reducing existing shareholders' ownership percentage. It happens at every funding round.
Intermediate exits
IPO — Initial Public Offering
An IPO is when a private company first sells shares to the public on a stock exchange, providing liquidity and access to large capital pools.
Intermediate fundraising
Letter of Intent (LOI)
A Letter of Intent is a non-binding document expressing intent to enter an agreement, used in B2B sales and M&A transactions.
Intermediate fundraising
Liquidation Preference
The right of preferred investors to be paid back before common shareholders in a liquidation or sale event, protecting downside.
Intermediate fundraising
Pre-Money and Post-Money Valuation
Pre-money valuation is a company's value before investment. Post-money adds the investment amount. Both determine investor ownership.
Beginner fundraising
Pre-Seed Round
A pre-seed round is the earliest startup funding stage, covering idea to prototype. Check sizes range from $100K to $1M from angels and micro-VCs.
Intermediate fundraising
Pro-Rata Rights
The right of an investor to participate in future funding rounds to maintain their ownership percentage in the company.
Intermediate fundraising
Revenue-Based Financing
Revenue-based financing gives startups capital in exchange for a percentage of future revenue, with no equity dilution and no fixed monthly payments.
Beginner finance
Runway
Runway is how many months a startup can operate before running out of cash. It defines the time to reach the next milestone or close the next funding round.
Intermediate fundraising
SAFE — Simple Agreement for Future Equity
A SAFE lets investors fund startups in exchange for future equity, with no interest rate or maturity date. Created by Y Combinator in 2013.
Beginner fundraising
Seed Round
A seed round is a startup's first institutional funding, used to validate the product, build the core team, and reach the traction needed for a Series A.
Intermediate fundraising
Series A
A Series A is the first major priced VC round, raised after a startup shows product-market fit and consistent growth. It funds scaling the go-to-market engine.
Intermediate fundraising
Series B Round
Series B is a growth-stage VC round that funds scaling a proven business. Typically requires $8–15M ARR, 80%+ YoY growth, and NRR above 110%.
Intermediate fundraising
Term Sheet
A term sheet is a non-binding document outlining the key terms of a VC investment deal before formal legal agreements are drafted.
Intermediate finance
Unit Economics
The direct revenues and costs associated with a single unit of a business, used to determine per-unit profitability and scalability.
Guides
Intermediate fundraising
10 min How to Write a Cold Email to Investors
How to write a cold email to investors that actually gets a reply — anatomy of a great VC email, subject lines, templates, and what not to do.
Intermediate fundraising
12 min How to Manage Investor Relations as a Startup Founder
Build a systematic investor relations practice — from monthly update emails to board meetings — that keeps investors engaged and working for you.
Intermediate fundraising
16 min How to Raise a Seed Round
A practical, step-by-step guide to raising a seed round: what to prepare, how to run the process, and how to close.
Advanced fundraising
18 min How to Read (and Negotiate) a Term Sheet
A founder's guide to every clause in a VC term sheet — valuation, liquidation preference, anti-dilution, board control, and what to actually negotiate.
Intermediate fundraising
15 min How to Write a Startup Pitch Deck That Raises Money
A complete guide to building a startup pitch deck — what slides to include, what investors look for, and mistakes that get decks deleted immediately.
Articles
Intermediate fundraising
14 min The Anatomy of a Series A Round
What a Series A actually requires in 2024–25: the metrics, the process, the timeline, and what investors are really evaluating.
Intermediate fundraising
13 min Bootstrapping vs. VC Funding: Which Path Is Right for You?
VC or bootstrap? The answer depends on your market, your ambitions, and what you're willing to trade. Here's how to decide.
Intermediate fundraising
15 min The Startup Fundraising Process, Explained Start to Finish
The fundraising process is opaque by design. This article maps every phase — from prep to close — so you can run it like an operator.
Intermediate fundraising
12 min What VCs Really Look for in a Seed-Stage Startup
VCs say they back great teams in big markets. The reality is more specific — and more useful. Here's the actual framework seed investors use to decide.