venturerock’s Post

Midwest VC (MVC) is a venture capital firm that supports early-stage startups in the Midwest. They focus on helping entrepreneurs create exceptional user experiences, dominate their markets, and deliver returns to investors. MVC emphasizes the importance of timely exits for portfolio companies, drawing from past experiences with startups like Groupon and FourSquare. Unlike some larger VC firms, MVC prioritizes advising startups on what’s best for their business rather than solely aiming for fund returns. Investment Range: Undisclosed Stage: Early Sector: Technology Investment Geography: Midwest, United States Notable Investments: Boundary Layer Technologies, New Culture, Cyberdontics

Ever wondered how startups secure the funds they need to thrive? Let's break it down! Bootstrapping: The initial stage where founders, along with friends and family, invest in their vision. Seed Funding: Enter the "angels" - high-net-worth individuals who believe in early-stage ventures and provide crucial support. Series A, B, C, D...: As the startup grows, it attracts larger investments from venture capital firms, fueling expansion and innovation. Going Public: The ultimate leap! Startups may opt for an IPO, SPAC acquisition, or direct listing, inviting public investment and rewarding early supporters with exciting returns. From humble beginnings to global success stories, the funding journey of startups is as thrilling as their innovative ideas. Ready to invest in the next big thing?

Curious about venture capital? Let’s break down the journey every founder faces, and how VC typically plays a role at each stage. 🌱 Seed Stage: This is where the spark ignites. Founders bring ideas to life, test assumptions, and find their footing. Our accelerator is designed to help startups in this phase gain traction and refine their vision. 🚀 Early Stage: Here, startups start scaling and building momentum, translating potential into traction. This is where the grit shows - and we work closely with founders to build this momentum, supporting every challenge and opportunity. 🌍 Growth Stage: Time to think big. Startups expand, enter new markets, and even consider acquisitions. With HASAN.VC, founders have a partner in navigating growth and capturing larger markets. 💼 Late Stage: All efforts align toward a strong exit, like an IPO or acquisition. At this point, founders have built something real, and we’re there to help secure the legacy they’ve created. - From day one to exit, HASAN.VC is committed to building a halal startup ecosystem that champions founders on a mission to, create meaningful impact. Investing in startups isn’t just about returns, it’s about empowering visionaries to create lasting change. #VentureCapital #StartupJourney #FounderLife #SeedStage #EarlyStage #GrowthStage

🦄 Venture Studios don’t need to build unicorns to return their funds. Instead, they focus on building companies that bring substantial returns, scalable growth and higher success rate than traditional unicorn companies – the dragons. What makes them so successful in scaling early-stage startups? ⏩ Speed: Venture Studios aim to get an idea from zero to scale as quickly and successfully as possible 🔁 Repeatable methodology: Venture Studios act as co-founders and get involved in day-to-day operations 📈 Entire portfolio success: Out of 10 portfolio startups, 8-9 become dragons and the rest don’t fail - they pivot. At Venturerock, we pioneer a proprietary, AI-powered venture building operating system designed to navigate ideas into dragon companies. Our Studio-built startups unlock access to resources, playbooks and tools based on evidence and audited data to ensure sustainable growth across their stages of development. At Venturerock we leverage a Studio-based model to build the next gen of dragon companies. Do you want to join us? 🚀 #VentureStudios #StartupStudio #SeriesA #StartupEcosystem #VentureBuilding #Venturerock #PortfolioPerformance #StartupSupport

🌍 💡 𝐕𝐂 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 The 𝐕𝐂 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 has changed significantly post-COVID, setting higher expectations for startups at every funding stage. Investors now require companies to be more established, and this trend is evident as the median age of startups at each funding round has steadily increased since 2019, as shown in data from Carta. To meet these expectations, today's startups are expected to demonstrate several key factors: ⏳𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬. Companies seeking funding are, on average, older than they were a few years ago. This shift indicates that investors are prioritizing startups that have had more time to prove their concepts and develop a stable foundation. 🕵♂️ 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚. Today’s venture capitalists expect even early-stage startups to meet rigorous benchmarks. Beyond just a promising idea, startups are now required to show: 💡 Proven product-market fit that demonstrates real demand; 💰 Revenue generation or clear revenue models that validate the company’s potential for profitability; 🤝 Strong customer acquisition strategies, showing they can effectively grow their user base; 🧑💼 Experienced leadership teams that can navigate market challenges and scale the business. 🌱 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬. These evolving expectations mean that companies need to achieve key milestones - such as generating revenue, securing customer contracts, or building strategic partnerships - earlier in their lifecycle. This shift reflects a venture market increasingly focused on 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 and 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠-𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞. In a more selective funding environment, startups are encouraged to build resilience, validate their business models, and demonstrate clear paths to profitability before approaching investors. This insight, highlighted by Carta’s analysis, underscores 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲’𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞. For #DeepTech investors, this trend underscores the value of supporting companies with longer development timelines. While Series A/B investment in deep tech may not show immediate revenue, the sector’s resilience and potential market impact justify this extended investment horizon. Thus, we can confidently assert that 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐭 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐕𝐂 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐞, characterized by innovations that often take longer to mature but ultimately deliver 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞. Thanks to Peter Walker and Carta insights for this valuable data. #venturecapital #innovation #investmentstrategy #sustainablegrowth #longterminvestment

Venture-backed startups are getting old. Not like passé, but literally aged. For instance, US companies who raised their Series A rounds in 2019 were a median of 2.1 years old. Those who raised that same round in 2024 were 2.9 years old. And that pattern of increased time from incorporation holds across basically every stage. So what’s up? Startups are taking in more capital in convertible instruments before they ever hit priced equity - so the comparison of seed across those years includes some stretching of the term. Obviously companies in the venture ecosystem are staying private longer overall. We didn't show it in the chart but you can get medians up to 12 years or even higher for Series E, F, etc. When will that elusive IPO market come back - and will it ever really support small-cap IPOs for tech firms again? Beyond that, founders are definitely skipping stages. The round names are taken from the term sheets themselves, but there's no reason a founder has to hit every funding milestone. Get a seed, make amazing progress, boom jump up to a Series B. Founders: expect it to take a decade +/- 20%. VCs: if the fund model is predicated on a 10-year lifetime...that's probably not enough 😬 #startups #venturecapital #fundraising #IPO Finely-aged startup data - available every Thursday in our Data Minute newsletter! Subscribe at the link in graphic.

🕰️ VC-backed startups are becoming older 👴   Between 2019 and 2024, the median age of VC startups upon raising their next round, has increased on average by 30%.   💎 Peter Walker of Carta dropped this gem of an analysis on US VC-backed companies this weekend.   And it fully resonates with what we're noticing in practice torq.partners. There is a big shift in the lifecycle of venture-backed startups.    Instead, they’re aging through each funding round:   🌱 Seed companies raised in 2019 were just onder 1 year old. Today? Seed rounds often happen after 1.2 years or more of building.   👑 Series A takes the crown, with the median company being ~40% years older in 2024 when compared to 2019.   Putting this into numbers: the median Series A company in 2019 was barely 2 years old, in 2024 it was nearly 3 years old.   And this trend continues across Series B, C, and D rounds. Founders are now looking at a median 8+ years in the private market before reaching Series D. ❗ That's 2 years more than it was just 5 years ago.   Why the shift? 💡   Liquidity gaps are more often filled up with convertible securities, prolonging runway and therefore delaying the need for a traditional equity round.   A second effect (which is also enhanced by the aforementioned convertible instruments) is the "skipping" of a round.   🚀 Going from seed straight to Series B, bypassing A rounds if they can show strong traction early on.   What does this mean for the IPO market? While always much less prominent in Europe than in the US, now I think it will become even more rare to see small-cap tech firms get a listing.   🔑 So what are the key takeaways?   For founders, prepare for a longer journey.   For VCs, a traditional 10-year fund cycle might need a rethink.   Yori May Jitse Rupp #torqpartners #startupgrowth #venturecapital #mergersandacquisitions #IPO #funding

🌟 European Venture Studios: Driving Innovation and Success 🌟 European venture studios are making significant strides in the startup ecosystem, nurturing innovation and driving success across various industries. Notably, eFounders and Rocket Internet have established themselves as leaders in this space. eFounders has launched over 30 companies, including Front and Aircall, by providing startups with expert guidance, funding, and operational support. Rocket Internet has created global success stories like Zalando and HelloFresh, leveraging their extensive network and resources to scale businesses rapidly. These venture studios excel by combining technical expertise with strategic insights, ensuring startups can navigate challenges and achieve market success. Their impact is evident in the thriving European startup landscape, marked by increased innovation and substantial exits. At Money Pioneers, we draw inspiration from these European success stories, aiming to replicate their achievements by empowering fintech startups with unparalleled support and expertise. #FintechInnovation #VentureStudios #SaudiFintech #StartupGrowth #TechExcellence

Venture-backed startups are getting old. Not like passé, but literally aged. For instance, US companies who raised their Series A rounds in 2019 were a median of 2.1 years old. Those who raised that same round in 2024 were 2.9 years old. And that pattern of increased time from incorporation holds across basically every stage. So what’s up? Startups are taking in more capital in convertible instruments before they ever hit priced equity - so the comparison of seed across those years includes some stretching of the term. Obviously companies in the venture ecosystem are staying private longer overall. We didn't show it in the chart but you can get medians up to 12 years or even higher for Series E, F, etc. When will that elusive IPO market come back - and will it ever really support small-cap IPOs for tech firms again? Beyond that, founders are definitely skipping stages. The round names are taken from the term sheets themselves, but there's no reason a founder has to hit every funding milestone. Get a seed, make amazing progress, boom jump up to a Series B. Founders: expect it to take a decade +/- 20%. VCs: if the fund model is predicated on a 10-year lifetime...that's probably not enough 😬 hashtag #startups #venturecapital #fundraising #IPO

🚀 Venture Studios: The New PE for Early-Stage Startups?⁣ ⁣ Is the venture studio model revolutionizing early-stage investments? In this thought-provoking discussion, we explore the parallels between Private Equity and Venture Studios, and why this approach could be a game-changer for startups.⁣ ⁣ 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:⁣ - 𝐏𝐄 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 $𝟓𝟎𝐌 𝐭𝐨 $𝟓𝐁 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡⁣ - 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐬 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬⁣ - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥: 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 $𝟎 𝐭𝐨 $𝟓𝐁+ 𝐢𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞⁣ - 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥, 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡⁣ ⁣ 💡 The big idea: Venture Studios could offer PE-level support at the crucial early stages, dramatically improving startup success rates.⁣ ⁣ At Nobody Studios, we're putting this theory into practice. Watch the full video in the comment section below to learn how we're reimagining the startup ecosystem and our mission to build 100 companies in 5 years.⁣ 🤔 Question for investors and founders: How could the venture studio model change your approach to building or investing in startups?⁣ ⁣ #VentureStudios #StartupInvestment #EntrepreneurialEcosystem #InnovationCapital #NobodyStudios Barry O'Reilly Mark S. McNally Matthew Burris