
TechCrunch Startup News Investors share what to remember while raising a Series A
Dec 29, 2025
Founders seeking Series A funding should understand the shifting expectations around deal sizes and rounds. Investors emphasize the importance of proving product-market fit and consistent growth. Passion and endurance are crucial traits for founders, as highlighted by industry experts. AI's influence on fundraising is also discussed, with a call for clear differentiation in a competitive landscape. Ultimately, while standards are high, investors remain eager to support ventures with potential for significant impact.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Series A Market Has Tightened
- Series A bar is higher today: fewer rounds but larger deal sizes, concentrating capital into bigger winners.
- Investors now prioritize consistent quarter-over-quarter growth and demonstrable product-market fit.
Easier To Start, Harder To Defend
- Lower barriers to starting companies have increased quantity but not necessarily defensibility.
- It's easier than ever to launch, yet building a defensible business has become harder.
Prove Repeatable Growth
- Prove you can repeatedly sell and grow each quarter to show clear product-market fit.
- Demonstrate demand patterns that reliably outperform prior quarters to satisfy investor formulas.
