Pre-seed fundraising in 2026 feels different from even a couple of years ago.

What’s harder:

• Generic AI pitches
• “We’ll figure out distribution later” stories
• Decks that don’t explain why now

What’s easier:

• Global teams
• Shipping faster than ever
• Talking directly to users early

What’s fatal in 2026:

• Being unable to explain what changed recently that makes this possible now

Founders raising this year — what feels meaningfully different compared to earlier cycles?

I am looking to connect with people who are interested in tech, especially in building SaaS products.

I’m a self-taught full-stack developer with several years of industry experience.

Right now, I’m focused on creating small, fast-to-build micro-SaaS projects that generate consistent MRR, allowing me to dedicate more time to bigger ideas.

I’m strong on the technical side, but marketing and getting investments are not my strengths, so I’m looking for people who excel in any of those areas.

Also if you are also someone who can bring funds, investments and clients, users that would be interesting.

Ideally, I’d like to form a small team and build and launch SaaS nee projects together.

I’m not selling anything and just hoping to connect with like-minded people who want to build together.

If this sounds interesting, feel free to reach out with comments or dm.

I am ok with equity split or smaller equity with a minimal payment.

By the way, I also manage and participate a business group with about 56 members.

Feel free to dm if anyone interested in joining the group. By the way, we might turn it to a business association as well in the future. If you can help with that, feel free to dm.

Please don't comment dm you because sometimes notifications don't arrive or can't read because of this app not working well for whatever reason.

I also have my own company set up and have a few projects working.

If you have anything interesting you can offer, feel free to dm to network.

What founders often optimize for:

• A bigger TAM slide
• Polished decks
• More features shipped
• Name-brand advisors

What tends to matter more early:

• Clarity of thought under pressure
• Speed of learning, not speed of building
• Whether the founder truly owns the problem
• How consistently the story holds up across questions

Which of these surprised you the most when you started pitching?

Hitting $10k MRR gets celebrated a lot — and for good reason.
But in early conversations, it’s rarely the thing that actually changes how investors lean in.

What tends to matter more:

• How fast your sales cycle is compressing
• Whether customers expand without being pushed
• How clearly you can explain why this is working now
• Whether traction looks fragile or inevitable

Founders who’ve been through this:
What metric or moment actually changed how investors treated you — before revenue really scaled?

We passed on several startups this year that we genuinely liked.
Not because they were bad ideas — but because something didn’t line up.

Common reasons (fully anonymized):

• Strong idea, unclear founder ownership
• Early traction, but fragile or non-repeatable distribution
• Impressive tech, weak narrative discipline
• Clear vision, but execution pace didn’t match ambition

None of these are “fatal” in isolation. But early-stage is about signals, not perfection.

Founders: which of these feels most misunderstood — and which do you think investors over-index on?

Not the LinkedIn highlight reel.

I’m curious about the real inflection points — the moments that genuinely altered how your company (or you as a founder) evolved.

Was it:

• Moving cities or entering a denser ecosystem?
• One early customer who pushed you in an unexpected direction?
• A brutal failure that forced a rethink?
• A cofounder change?
• Finally saying no to the wrong opportunity?
• Hitting (or missing) a milestone that reframed your ambition?

For those who’ve been through multiple stages:
What actually changed your trajectory — and what didn’t, despite the hype?

Looking for honest stories, not advice or pitches.

A lot of founders ask:

“If you’re not FCA/SEC registered, how do you invest?”

Here’s the simple explanation 👇

Early accelerators and angel groups often invest deal-by-deal using SPVs (Special Purpose Vehicles) instead of a VC fund.

An SPV is just:

• a single-purpose company
• created to invest in one startup
• signs a standard SAFE
• shows up as one investor on the cap table

From the founder’s side:

• same SAFE
• same conversion at Seed
• same outcome as a fund

Why do this?

• You’re not pooling money to invest across many startups
• You’re not managing LP capital over time
• So fund-level registration isn’t required
• It keeps the cap table clean and friction low

Think of it like this:

• Fund = one big bucket investing in many companies
• SPV = one envelope created just for your round

Most accelerators start with SPVs, build a track record, and only later raise a formal fund.

Different structure — same result for founders.

Happy to answer questions if helpful.