The podcast discusses the current state of pre-seed funding in the market, the use of SAFEs and convertible notes, understanding valuation caps, and choosing the right instruments for fundraising. It provides insights from the State of Pre-Seed: Q1 2024 report and offers advice to pre-seed founders on building their cap table and fundraising with SAFEs through Carta Launch.
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Quick takeaways
Pre-seed funding remains strong despite the venture capital downturn, with around $1 billion invested each quarter.
Simple Agreements for Future Equity (SAFEs) are the dominant instrument in pre-seed fundraising, offering clarity and anti-dilution measures.
Deep dives
Pre-Seed Funding Resilience in Venture Capital Downturn
Pre-seed funding has shown resilience in the venture capital downturn, with approximately $1 billion invested each quarter, maintaining a healthy figure compared to later-stage rounds. Despite a slight decrease in funding post-peak, pre-seed funding remains robust and outperforms other sectors in the venture capital landscape.
Dominance of SAFEs in Pre-Seed Fundraising
In pre-seed fundraising, Simple Agreements for Future Equity (SAFEs) have emerged as the primary instrument, constituting about 88% of total capital invested in pre-seed companies. The shift towards post-money SAFEs, influenced by industry trends like Y Combinator's template adjustments, has become prevalent, accounting for 80-85% of invested capital. SAFEs offer clarity and anti-dilution measures, making them the preferred choice for pre-seed founders.
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Exploring the Landscape of Pre-Seed Funding and SAFEs
Plus, if you want us to answer your question on the Data Minute, send us an email to dataminute@carta.com
Also, if you’re a pre-seed founder, you can start building your cap table and fundraise with SAFEs for free on Carta Launch. Learn more here: https://carta.com/launch
Chapters: 00:00 Intro 00:35 How is pre-seed funding faring in this venture capital downturn? 01:24 What sorts of instruments are pre-seed founders fundraising on? 02:11 What kind of SAFE should I use? 03:43 What are the key terms of a SAFE that I need to understand? 04:51 What valuation cap should I choose for my business? 06:26 Final thoughts