Venture Capital
30 articles
Five Due Diligence Areas Investors Examine Before Writing a Check: A Founder's Checklist
When investors move from pitch to term sheet, they shift from judging your story to verifying it. This guide outlines the five key due diligence areas investors examine: team/governance, corporate records/equity, financials/business model, IP, and material agreements, stressing proactive preparation by founders for a smoother fundraising round.
How Corporate Governance Expectations Shift at Each VC Funding Stage
Venture capital investors' corporate governance expectations shift significantly as a company progresses through funding stages, requiring founders to adapt their practices from foundational legal structures to advanced oversight mechanisms.
What VCs Actually Check in Due Diligence — and the Data Room Checklist Founders Should Build Now
Venture capital due diligence is a structured investigation by investors to validate startup information and identify risks. Founders can significantly expedite this process by proactively building and organizing a comprehensive virtual data room covering legal, financial, team, and market aspects.
How Deep Tech VCs Decide: The Five Factors Founders Must Self-Assess Before Pitching
Deep tech VCs evaluate startups based on technological readiness, team expertise, and key risks, not traditional traction metrics. Founders must self-assess these five factors using a structured framework before pitching to secure investment.
Seattle VC Funding Hits Record $3.5B, Defying National Downturn
Seattle-area startups raised a record $3.5 billion in venture capital during Q3 2026, defying a national downturn and a cooling AI investment climate. This surge was driven by massive deals in capital-intensive sectors like space and fusion energy.
Tech Conferences Accelerate VC Funding in 2026
A single tech conference recently brokered over 20,000 double-opt-in meetings in 48 hours.
Choosing a Fractional CTO with HyperNest Labs
While a full-time Chief Technology Officer can cost a startup up to $400,000 annually plus equity, HyperNest Labs offers fractional CTO services starting at just $60/hour.
Europe's Top Innovation Hubs and Ecosystems for 2026
London boasts an ecosystem value of $438 billion and 72 active unicorns, a staggering display of financial might.
What is the Startup J-Curve and why does it matter for growth?
Swedish startups funded by US venture capitalists exhibited deeper J-curves, characterized by larger short-term losses, yet achieved higher long-term sales than those funded by non-US VCs, according t
What Are Intellectual Property Protection Strategies for Startups?
A basic intellectual property (IP) protection package—provisional patent, single-class trademark—runs startups just $3,500 to $5,000, according to Leanlaw .
Enhans Secures $37 Million in Series C Funding for AI Growth
South Korean enterprise AI firm Enhans just secured 51.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Startup Exposure & Partnerships
Startups from TechCrunch Disrupt's Startup Battlefield have collectively raised an astonishing $32 billion.
Strategic Partnerships: Driving Future Innovation
With venture capital tightening and borrowing costs escalating, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) increasingly turn to strategic alliances as a direct alternative to traditional funding.
Founder Satisfaction Ranks America's Top Incubators of 2026
Over 2,000 startup alumni recently rated their incubator and accelerator experiences for TIME and Statista's inaugural 'America's Best' ranking.
Emerging Global AI Startup Ecosystems
80% of all AI funding globally is concentrated in just three cities: Silicon Valley, Beijing, and Paris.
Irish SME VC funding plunges 58% amid AI investment surge
In Q1, venture capital funding for Irish SMEs plummeted by a staggering 58% year-on-year, signaling a deepening crisis for the nation's startup ecosystem.
Public Funds Catalyze Deep Tech VC Investment Growth
The European Innovation Council (EIC) has already helped companies raise a collective €15.
Top 6 Trends Impacting Global Startups in 2026
OpenAI closed a $40 billion funding round in 2025, the largest single venture raise in history, according to Startup Genome .
What Is Legal Due Diligence for Startup Funding Rounds?
A venture capitalist can expect to dedicate at least 20 hours to due diligence for a single startup, a process that can stretch for months.
Digital health startups gain exposure via accelerators
Health Wildcatters offers digital health startups $30,000 in cash and over $200,000 in program value.
What Are Fractional Executives and When Do Startups Need Them?
An in-house VP of Sales can cost a startup over $250,000 annually in salary and benefits, a figure that often includes a base salary ranging from $150,000 to $300,000 or more, plus an additional $100,
How Venture Capital Funds Work: A Guide for LPs and GPs
During due diligence, institutional Limited Partners (LPs) specifically ask venture capital managers to describe any circumstances where one Limited Partner invests under different terms than others,
EU Innovation Act proposes to boost startup funding, ecosystem
The European Commission has proposed a new Innovation Act, seeking to unlock €5 billion for scale-ups and streamline fragmented research and development contracts across its member states.
Pitch Perfect Africa 2026 awards $15,000 to three health startups
Only three health ventures will ultimately secure a CAD $5,000 Innovation Fellowship from Pitch Perfect Africa 2026, despite six being selected to pitch their groundbreaking ideas.
What is a Fractional Executive and Why Do Startups Need Them?
A startup needing a crucial CFO can secure C-suite expertise in under two weeks.
How to Choose the Best Startup Events for Funding and Growth in 2026
A single attendee pass for TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 costs $849, a significant investment that many startups make without a clear strategy for return.
Barilla's Good Food Makers Program: High Risks for Startups
As Barilla opens applications for its 2026 Good Food Makers program, participating startups risk their entire existence.
5 CEE Startups Dominate 2026 Funding Rounds
Between January and July 2026, five CEE-connected startups—Mews, Preply, Oxylabs, Fonoa, and Viktor—captured roughly two-thirds of the nearly €1 billion raised in the region's top 15 funding rounds, a
What Are Evergreen Funds and Why Do They Matter for LPs and GPs?
For as little as $25,000, individual investors can now gain immediate exposure to private equity portfolios once reserved for institutions requiring $5 million minimums.
Molten Ventures Growth Fund Secures First Close for Tech Investments
Molten Ventures just secured £175 million for its new Growth Fund, with a significant £75 million cornerstone commitment from the British Business Bank , signaling robust confidence in European deep t