Series A Round

Definition

The first major institutional funding round where a startup trades away significant equity for the capital needed to scale, marking the point where things get complicated and lawyers get rich.

Example Usage

We closed our Series A at a $20 million valuation, which means the founders now own 40% of the company they started in a garage.

Source: VC funding terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

Beta launch

The early release of a product to limited users for testing and feedback. It's a safe way to find bugs before the internet makes fun of you in public.

🚀 Startup / VC

Advanced

distribution waterfall

The specific order in which investment proceeds are distributed among LPs and GPs based on the fund's legal agreements. It's the pecking order that determines who eats first at the exit feast.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

Revenue Multiples

A valuation method that multiplies annual revenue by an industry-standard multiple (e.g., 5x revenue) to estimate company value. It's less scientific than it sounds, mostly vibes-based.

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Advanced

co-investment rights

Special privileges allowing certain LPs to invest additional money directly into specific portfolio companies alongside the fund, usually with lower or no fees. The VIP backstage pass of venture investing.

🚀 Startup / VC

Intermediate

SaaS Metrics

The constellation of measurements VCs obsess over (MRR, ARR, CAC, LTV, churn) that supposedly predict success but often just delay the realization that your growth is unsustainable.

🚀 Startup / VC

Beginner

cold email

Unsolicited outreach to investors or customers who have no idea who you are and probably don't care. The digital equivalent of knocking on strangers' doors, with similar success rates.

🚀 Startup / VC

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