Prepare to raise | CORE
Expert guidance, investor matching, and visibility
Private rounds
Raise from your network with professional infrastructure
Cap table & equity management
All-in-one equity and stakeholder management
ESOP
Incentivize your employees and manage ESOPs seamlessly
Explore SeedBlink Legal
Subscribe to our newsletter
Share this term
Series A funding is the first major venture capital round a startup raises after proving its business model works. It typically happens once a company has a real product, early users, and signs of traction, for example, constant revenue growth or strong engagement metrics.
Series A rounds usually come after seed funding and before Series B. This is the point when professional investors, usually venture capitalists, back you because you’ve proven your idea works in the real world.
If you’re getting ready for this stage, it can help to explore educational resources like the SeedBlink Fundraising Academy, where founders can learn more about how the Series A process works and what investors expect.
Every startup’s growth is like climbing a ladder. Each step takes you closer to building a stable, successful company. To really understand what a Series A round means, it helps to see how it fits into the full funding journey.
Here’s a simple breakdown of each stage of funding and what founders should know:
1. Pre-Seed funding
This is where it all begins. You’re building your idea, maybe creating a prototype, and testing if your concept makes sense. Most of the money at this point comes from your bootstrapping with your own money, friends, or small crowdfunding campaigns. It’s about proving that you have a competitive advantage and your idea is worth exploring.
2. Seed stage
Now you have something to show, a product or early version that people can use. The main goal here is to find product–market fit, meaning your solution actually solves a problem people care about. You might raise money from angel investors or early-stage venture funds to test the market, improve your product, and start building a small team.
3. Series A
This is the big turning point. You’ve shown traction, real users, paying customers, or strong engagement, and investors believe your business can scale. Series A funding is used to grow fast and smart: hiring key team members, refining your operations, improving your product, and building a repeatable sales or revenue model.
At this stage, your potential investors look for proof that your startup isn’t just a good idea, it’s a real company with potential to grow into something big. You’ll also need to have your metrics, vision, and strategy clear, since this round often sets the foundation for future growth.
4. Series B and beyond
Once you have a good business model, the next financing rounds are all about expansion, entering new markets, launching additional products, and growing your revenue faster. These later-stage rounds, at Series C or Series D are designed to accelerate growth and move your company closer to profitability or a potential exit, such as an acquisition or IPO (initial public offering).
The amount startups raise in a Series A round of funding really depends on a few things: your industry, where you’re based, and how much traction you’ve already shown. In Europe, most Series A rounds range from €1M to €15M, though high-growth startups in areas like fintech, AI, or biotech can raise even more.
Typically, startups at the Series A stage are valued between €8M and €500M pre-money valuation, and founders usually give up around 10% to 25% equity. The funding amount depends on your performance, revenue growth, user engagement, market potential, and your team's execution. If your startup shows strong results and a clear growth story, investors are more likely to offer better valuations and terms.
It’s also worth remembering that bigger isn’t always better when it comes to raising capital. The goal isn’t just to raise as much money as possible; it’s to raise the right amount to reach your next major milestones. Raising too much too early can lead to more dilution and higher expectations from investors.
When it comes to startup funding, Seed and Series A rounds serve very different purposes. Knowing the difference helps you understand what investors expect and how to prepare for each stage.
Seed funding is all about building and testing.
At this stage, founders are focused on creating an MVP (minimum viable product) and proving there’s real demand for it. Seed rounds usually range from $500K to $2M, and the money often comes from angel investors or early-stage venture funds.
Series A, on the other hand, is about scaling what already works.
By now, you have a proven product, some solid traction, and a clear sense of your market. Series A rounds are usually larger, often between $2M and $15M+, and are led by venture capital firms or institutional investors. These investors are more involved, often joining your board and guiding strategy to help you scale faster and smarter.
To make this clearer, here are a few real examples of Series A rounds raised through SeedBlink:
Alcatraz AI
The company raised around $25M to expand its biometric security solutions and grow internationally. This round helped the company strengthen its technology and scale globally.
Read more about Alcatraz’s round here
Hunch
The marketing automation platform raised €4M to accelerate its growth and expand across Europe. This funding allowed the team to grow their customer base and strengthen their tech platform.
Learn more about Hunch’s raise here
As your startup grows, each funding round has a different goal. As we already saw, Series A funding happens once you’ve built a solid product, found paying customers, and shown that your business model works.
The main goal at this stage is to scale what’s already working, to grow your customer base, improve your operations, and build a stronger team.
Series B funding happens when your company is ready to grow even faster. You’ve already shown solid results and now want to expand into new markets, launch new products, or scale internationally. Series B rounds are much larger, typically between $15M and $50M, and often involve larger VC firms, growth funds, or institutional investors.
When your startup reaches the Series A stage, the investors you work with start to look a bit different. Here are the main types you’ll meet during this round.
Venture Capital Firms (VCs) are the main investors in most Series A rounds. These are professional investment firms that focus on funding startups with strong traction and big growth potential.
Corporate Venture Funds are investment teams within large companies. They invest in startups that fit their industry or long-term strategy. Besides the capital, they can offer valuable partnerships, industry knowledge, and access to customers or technology.
For example, a big tech company might invest in an AI startup that complements its products.
Angel Syndicates or Networks are groups of experienced individual investors who join forces to invest together. While angels are common in earlier rounds, some still take part in Series A, especially if they’ve supported your startup before. They often add personal mentorship and hands-on advice.
In Europe, many Series A rounds include both local and international investors. Local investors know the regional market and ecosystem, while international funds can help you expand into new countries and think bigger.
Having a mix of both often gives startups the best balance of local support and global reach.
👉Want to meet top venture investors across Europe? Check out the SeedBlink VC Network to find the right investors and partners to back your next round.
When you start talking to investors for your Series A round, they’re evaluating your ability to build and grow a lasting company.
One of the first things they’ll expect is product–market fit, which means your product is already being used and valued by real customers. Investors want to see evidence that people want what you’re selling, and that they’re coming back for more. This could be shown through user growth, strong retention, or recurring revenue.
They’ll also focus on scalability, whether your business model can grow quickly and efficiently. If your growth depends too heavily on manual work or spending too much, investors will see that as a red flag.
Another key factor is market potential. Investors in Series A rounds look for companies operating in large and growing markets, where there’s room to capture a significant share.
They’ll also assess your team’s execution ability, whether your leadership group has the experience, drive, and chemistry to deliver results. Founders don’t have to know everything, but they should know how to hire, delegate, and build a strong culture that supports rapid growth.
Finally, expect investors to dive into your financial health and performance metrics. They’ll look closely at numbers like Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC), Lifetime Value (LTV), and churn rate to judge whether your business can grow sustainably and profitably.
👉Want to make sure your pitch deck is ready for investors? Get professional feedback from the SeedBlink Pitch Deck Review team and make your next investor meeting count.
Your pitch deck is your main tool to win investor attention and trust. A good Series A pitch deck should help investors quickly understand what you’ve achieved, where you’re heading, and why your startup is worth betting on.
Here are some important points to include in your presentation:
👉Need help defining your market size? Check out this practical guide on how to present TAM, SAM, and SOM.
Knowing when to raise your fundraising round is one of the toughest calls a founder has to make. Move too early, and you risk wasting time with investors who won’t bite. Wait too long, and you might miss the chance to scale when momentum is on your side.
If your revenue or user growth fluctuates month to month, or you’re still experimenting with pricing, sales channels, or messaging, investors will likely see that as a sign that you’re not ready for the next level. The same goes for startups that can’t clearly explain how they’ll use Series A funding or what milestones they’ll reach with it.
If you need help getting ready for your next funding round, check out SeedBlink CORE, your all-in-one fundraising assistant designed to make you investor-ready. With CORE, you get hands-on tools, AI guidance, and expert feedback to help you raise with confidence.
Raising a Series A round is a big step for any startup. It’s when you move from proving your idea works to showing you can grow it fast. The process takes planning, patience, and good communication. Here’s what it usually looks like, step by step:
If you’re preparing for a Series A round, SeedBlink’s CORE helps founders approach investors in a more structured way. Our platform combines data-driven investor matching, so you can identify VCs and angels aligned with your stage, sector, and geography, with a public Startup Spotlight profile that makes your company discoverable and easy to share. Founders can track investor interest, collect feedback and ratings, and build a focused outreach pipeline without spending months on manual research.
How long does it take to raise a Series A round?
Raising a Series A typically takes between 4 to 9 months, depending on how prepared you are and how fast investors move. The process includes building your materials, pitching to multiple funds, going through due diligence, and finalizing legal paperwork.
How many investors are usually involved in a Series A?
Most Series A rounds are led by one main venture capital firm, often called the lead investor, who contributes the biggest part and sets the deal terms. Alongside them, there are usually a few co-investors or follow-on investors who add smaller amounts to complete the round. On average, a Series A might include 3 to 6 investors in total.
Do all startups need to raise Series A funding?
Not necessarily. Some startups grow steadily through revenue, grants, or smaller funding rounds, and may never need to raise a large VC-led round.
What happens after closing the Series A round?
You’ll also start reporting regularly to investors, sharing updates on performance, goals, and financials. The next milestones will likely prepare you for Series B or profitability, depending on your company’s strategy.
How do convertible notes or SAFEs fit into Series A?
Convertible notes and SAFEs (Simple Agreements for Future Equity) are tools often used before Series A, usually in seed or bridge rounds. They let investors put money in now, with the promise of converting that investment opportunity into equity later, typically during your Series A round.
