Investors share what to remember while raising a Series A | TechCrunch

"It has never been easier to start a company, and it has never been harder to build something that is defensible."

"That sequence should be happening consistently."

"Can you prove that you can repeatedly sell? Can you prove that you can repeatedly grow in a big and growing market?"

"It's not worth even taking this money unless you think it can be a really big business, right? Most companies should not [pursue] venture scale. They should not take hundreds of millions of dollars."

Market dynamics have shifted: fewer Series A rounds are funded while deal sizes have grown. Investors now prioritize demonstrable product-market fit and a consistent quarter-over-quarter demand sequence. Repeatable sales and sustainable growth in a large, expanding market are essential metrics for evaluation. Founder quality, particularly passion and endurance, remains a primary selection criterion. Venture capital should be pursued only when the opportunity supports venture-scale outcomes; many companies should avoid taking large venture sums. AI is influential but non-AI businesses can still possess intrinsically attractive assets and defensible value propositions.

Read at TechCrunch