Ask YC: Has anyone raised VC/Angel funding recently?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=400179

by psaccounts • 18 years ago

6 3 18 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Has anyone raised VC/Angel funding recently (i.e., in the last two months)? Specifically has anyone raised Seed/series A funding? If so, what has your experience been? Is it significantly more difficult now or is it still somewhat doable? Do you know of any VCs/Angels that are still investing in Seed/Series A rounds?

jmtame• 18 years ago

I've actually been wondering the same thing. With our current economic situation (being in a recession), are investosr mostly closed-minded and looking for ideas that (a) save money, or (b) provide boost to bottom line?

Would also be curious to know what startups have done early rounds of funding recently, and what their revenue model looks like (if applicable).

VonGuard• 18 years ago

I'm not a startup-er, but I do know some VC's and firms. Their take on things right now tends to be cloud-focused. With things like AWS and other cloud-styles out there, building a large data center, or renting out standard servers per month is becoming less and less attractive. They certainly still like Cloud startups, but even if you aren't a "Cloud company" (whatever that means), you should still be hosting your stuff in a cloud. Cheaper server overhead and easier dynamic scaling mean less risk for these guys.

It's not so much about belt tightening as it is about having solid fundamentals. You show up with a hosted app that earns money on day one, and you'll find someone to dance with.

If your app is up and running when you go to the VC out of the blue, that makes it easier, too.

But you all knew that already. Crispygamer closed a round of around $8 million a few weeks back. Deals are happening. They might take a little more time, and be a little smaller now, but if you have good fundamentals, VC's see this as a great time of opportunity, too. They're just going to bet a little more sanely on fewer things.

But make no mistake, they are still out there, still evaluating, and still looking for opportunity.

pedalpete• 18 years ago

Yes, angels and VC's are still investing. I have some friends who have recently received an angel seed round. Surprisingly with only a demo. No product yet.

I've also heard about some VC's doing seed rounds, but in companies which already have revenue.

Ask YC: Has anyone raised VC/Angel funding recently?

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