Fundraising & Cap Table for Early-Stage Founders - The Founder Finance Series, Ep 02

​You've got a pitch deck and a plan. But how do VCs actually evaluate a raise, and what happens to your cap table once the money comes in?

​Founders often focus all their energy on the pitch and none on the mechanics behind it, then get blindsided by term sheet details or cap table mess once a round is actually moving. This session covers both sides: how fundraising works from a VC's perspective, and what happens structurally to your equity once you raise.

​📅 August 19, 2026 · 09:00 AM PDT / 09:30 PM IST · 75 min

​What we'll cover:

• ​How VCs evaluate startups: what actually moves the needle at pre-seed and seed

• ​Round strategy: how much to raise, at what valuation, and how to think about runway vs. dilution

• ​SAFEs vs. priced rounds: how each works, and how a SAFE actually converts into equity

• ​Valuation caps, discounts, and pro-rata rights: what founders often get wrong in term sheets

• ​409A valuations: what they are, when you need one, and why they matter for QSBS and employee options

• ​Cap table hygiene: option pools, dilution math, and keeping your records raise-ready

• ​Live Q&A with both speakers

​Who this is for:

• ​Founders who've raised or are about to raise a SAFE or priced round

• ​Founders who've never seen a cap table model and want to understand the mechanics before their next raise

• ​Non-US founders navigating fundraising alongside US entity and tax compliance

• ​Anyone who's been handed a term sheet and wasn't sure what half of it meant