Introduction to Fundraising
Written by Harry Prabandham
Curated by Rubric Financial
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The Fundraising Landscape
- Startup fundraising raises capital from investors in exchange for equity (ownership). The company gives up a percentage of itself in return for cash to grow
- The ecosystem includes angel investors (individuals), venture capital firms (institutional), accelerators (programs + capital), and corporate investors (strategic)
- Each funding stage (pre-seed, seed, Series A, B, C) has different expectations, typical round sizes, and investor types
- Not every startup should raise venture capital. VC is a specific tool for specific business types (high growth, large markets, winner-takes-most dynamics)
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About the author
Harry PrabandhamFounder & CEO
Founder and CEO of StartupCFO. MBA from Wharton, MS in Computer Science, and decades of experience building and advising venture-backed startups.
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