Alex Alexakis’ Post

Collaborative innovation starts with the right connections. Startups, corporates, VCs — Plug and Play brings them together to solve real problems, at global scale. Learn more: https://pnptc.in/3KB8deb #PNPTC

VC money looks shiny at first. But for most startups, it’s a devil’s game. If you know how to execute, you can make enough to survive your first brutal year. Ask yourself - do you really need it, or just want the shortcut?

Real data from 2,000+ rounds - what is "market" for valuations, round sizes, and dilution across venture capital fundraising in 2025. All data from startups that use Carta. US startups only, primary rounds only, software companies only. Note that the dilution column is calculated independently from the round size and valuation columns. So most large rounds in terms of cash do not have outsize dilution, for instance. Share with a fundraising founder 🙏 #startups #founders

For those of you outside the USA, bear in mind they 34.8m SMEs as of 2024. Work the numbers. Interesting if you live in Africa and and other developing areas, and are complaining about lack of finance.

Peter Walker, The Q2 data confirms a major shift: VCs are writing fewer, but larger, checks into leaner, AI-driven teams (Seed valuations hit a record $15.6M). But beneath this optimism lies a structural flaw in the venture model itself. The median time between funding rounds is now 696 days, and with the average journey to an IPO taking 13 years, the traditional "2-year fund cycle" is fundamentally broken. We're trying to fit a square peg of long-term company building into a round hole of short-term fund liquidity. This is why the data points to the rise of alternative structures. The patent-pending ZYRO HIVE model we've been developing is built for this exact problem. It's a framework for co-owned ventures, where capital partners (VCs, strategic stakers) participate not through speculative, exit-only equity, but through direct economic alignment via Integrity Vaults. How it transforms the model: An initial IP development round (like the strong seed rounds we see in the data) builds the core asset. Post-IP, funding is linked to non-speculative need and a staking model. Capital is deployed not for "burn," but for utility and ecosystem growth. Integrity Vaults enable real-time distributions from validated revenue and ecosystem activity. This transforms patient capital from a burden into a feature—providing liquidity during the 13-year build, not just at the end. The data shows the system is straining for this. The increase in bridge rounds (**22.5% of Series A cash**) is a symptom of a model struggling to support long-term growth. The ZYRO HIVE model isn't just an alternative; it's an alignment engine, turning VCs and stakers into true long-term partners with shared economic interests from day one. The most forward-thinking founders and funders aren't just watching valuations—they're redesigning the capital stack itself. For founders building a 10+ year company, what would a "distribution-before-exit" model enable in your strategy that the traditional path does not? #Startups #VentureCapital #PatientCapital #CoOwnership #ZYROHIVE #Fundraising #Web3 #Liquidity

There is one thing I’ve learned over time (some I've learned the hard way) : if your startup depends on investor or VC money just to keep the lights on month after month, it’s not a business — it’s a countdown. There is no scalability without sustainability, which should be the first objective of any startups.

Venture capital is changing, and J.P. Morgan’s experts have some interesting takes on what’s happening. It’s not just about big money and flashy startups anymore—investors are looking for real solutions and smart ideas. If you’re curious about where the next big thing might come from, or just want to understand how the startup world is shifting, this is worth a read. See what the experts are saying: https://bit.ly/3KZiu3Z #JPMInnovationEconomy #venturecapital #PitchBook #NationalVentureCapitalAssociation

When a startup ecosystem that’s growing faster than ever- Do investors need just great pitches? Maybe not, they most definitely also need #clarity. Vinod Shankar from Java Capital shared how startup accelerators play a crucial role in that journey. The journey of clarity. Accelerators don’t just prepare startups; they prepare investors too. By building structured, guided, and investable companies, we (PedalStart) strive to make the entire ecosystem smarter, more transparent, and ready for real growth. #HustlersMela #PedalStart #JavaCapital #InvestorInsights #StartupEcosystem #accelerator #investment

WATTER unites startups, facilities, and brands around a shared story: affordable compute, instant ROI, and measurable sustainability. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/g95u8UTE

Here are some of the free resources I commonly recommend: → Sequoia Capital: Company Design - frameworks for building enduring companies → Y Combinator Library - guides on startups, fundraising, and scaling → Khosla Ventures: Entrepreneur Resources - advice for building high-impact startups → A16Z: Sales Forecasting Guide - data-driven forecasting strategies → Carta: Startup Fundraising 101 - basics of raising capital and managing equity → Venture Deals by Techstars - free course on venture financing and term sheets There's so much out there. Feel free to add ones you like in the comments. #StartupResources #FounderTools #VentureCapital