If you’re planning to raise a Series A in the next 12 to 24 months, the rules you think you’re playing by may already be outdated.
Series A isn’t just harder — it’s slower, more selective, and increasingly unforgiving. The bar has shifted, and many founders are still optimizing for a version of the market that no longer exists.
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, taking place October 13-15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, one session on the Builders Stage cuts directly into that gap, led by some of the VCs shaping the next funding cycle: The Series A in 2027.
This isn’t a retrospective. It’s a forward-looking breakdown of what it will actually take to raise in the next funding cycle and who will get left behind. Get your passes to Disrupt and join this session live. This offer to buy one, get one at 50% off ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Image Credits:TechCrunch
Get ahead of Series A changes
The window between building and raising has stretched. Metrics that once signaled readiness are being questioned. Teams that would have been fundable two years ago are now getting passed over. And in many cases, founders don’t realize it until they’re already in the market.
This session is designed to correct that before it costs you time, leverage, or your round.
What “fundable” actually means now
The definition of a “fundable” company is being rewritten in real time. In this session, you’ll get a direct view of how top investors are recalibrating:
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