Q1 2025: The Seed to Series A Gap is Wider Than Ever. Here's what to do. | Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta

Carta just released their report for Q1 2025. Peter is Head of Insights at Carta, and the person who owns their data practice. We sit down to talk about the largest trends he saw across fundraising, industries, graduation rates and even hiring practices. Carta data shows that graduation rates from Seed to A are as low as they've ever been. Bridge rounds make you even less likely to raise an A. And why seed-strapping might be an answer for many founders. VCs read and understand all this data. If you want to operate on equal footing— you should too.Why you should listen:What the Series A gap is and what do about it.Learn what the latest data says on valuations for seed and early-stage companies, round sizes etc.Why bridges and extensions have become so popular. Why bridge rounds have lower graduation rates to Series A.Why you might not need to move to the Bay Area to raise large rounds.Keywordsventure capital, AI, fundraising, market trends, valuations, startup ecosystem, early stage, late stage, investment, venture capital, bridge rounds, seed extensions, startup growth, hiring practices, AI impact, early stage funding, market trends, valuations, exitsSend me a message to let me know what you think!