Blog Overview

A dozen years ago, the SAFE didn’t exist. In the 2020s, it’s become the dominant mechanism used by early-stage companies to raise capital at the pre-seed stage.

While the high-level numbers have nosed down, other key metrics—like valuations and round sizes—are trending up at the seed stage. And some of these statistics look very different across different common sectors.

After a historically lackluster 2023, the fintech fundraising market has picked back up—through the first nine months of 2024, fintech startups on Carta combined to raise about $3.8 billion in new VC funding.

Using aggregated and anonymized data from tens of thousands of startups, we examine how opportunities to found companies, raise venture funding, and work at startups are distributed according to race and gender.

The CEO of Heylist and former PR exec used fact-finding conversations with investors in her network to help raise a pre-seed round for the Montreal-based company, which connects brands and influencers.

In his remarks at a hearing on technology and the future of finance, Henry Ward outlined how startups and private funds drive American innovation and advocated for expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors.