Capital Formation In Private Markets
Los Angeles, California
Joined September 2025
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Metal has closed a $4.5m Seed round led by @a16z @speedrun and @ycombinator with participation from @pioneer_fund, @RebelFund_VC, @GaingelsVC, @indusvalleycap, @teamignitevc, @GoodwaterCap, @PhazeVentures and others.
This round accelerates our work toward a bigger goal: building the AI-native operating system for private capital markets — software that founders adopt while raising, and continue using across the entire capital formation process.
Alongside the announcement, we're publishing our thesis on where private capital markets are headed.
Read the full press release here: lnkd.in/e3KCKuyv
Today we're announcing @metalraise $4.5M Seed Round, led by @a16z @speedrun / @ycombinator.
With participation from @pioneer_fund, Rebel Fund, @gaingelsvc, @indusvalleycap, @teamignitevc, @PhazeVentures and others.
In less than a year of launch, and with six consecutive quarters of 30-80% q/q growth, Metal is tracking for multi-million annual revenue run rate by the end of FY2026.
The core missing infrastructure in private markets has been an investor memory layer, an effort that we've been working on for three years. Today, for the first time, we are publishing our thesis on how private markets will evolve in the years ahead. See press release in comments below!
Metal retweeted
In July 2025, I was invited to the a16z @Speedrun offices in Los Angeles (partly to introduce @Metalraise to their portfolio companies).
I ended up spending six months in LA, working from the @a16z offices.
During this time, many of my views evolved on startups, and this evolution was partly driven by a16z speedrun’s unique history and superpowers.
(1) Media for Startup: Before landing in LA, I was of the view that a uniquely powerful product is how you win the market. Through speedrun, I learned that there is an art and a science to launches, and that your demand gen team almost has to operate as a “media production” team.
(2) Storytelling: One of the most unique aspects of speedrun was the emphasis on storytelling. How you tell your story to the world has an outsized impact on various aspects of the business, particularly in the post-PMF world.
This week, a16z Speedrun opened applications for their next cohort (SR008), and I couldn’t recommend it more strongly to founders out there raising capital and building startups.
With Investor Relations, founders can go from managing their entire raise to managing their investors post-raise, all in one place, built on top of millions of datapoints on investors.
Today, we're launching Investor Relations on @Metalraise.
4 weeks ago, we announced our seed (led by @a16z & @ycombinator) and shared how we think private capital markets will evolve. Fundraising, investor relations and ownership structure will eventually run on a single intelligence layer.
From today, founders can go from managing their raise to managing their investors post-raise, all in one place, in Metal.
That's what we're building. IR gets us one step closer.
First 100 to reply "Investor Relations" get 50% off 👇
Metal retweeted
Today, we're launching Investor Relations on @Metalraise.
4 weeks ago, we announced our seed (led by @a16z & @ycombinator) and shared how we think private capital markets will evolve. Fundraising, investor relations and ownership structure will eventually run on a single intelligence layer.
From today, founders can go from managing their raise to managing their investors post-raise, all in one place, in Metal.
That's what we're building. IR gets us one step closer.
First 100 to reply "Investor Relations" get 50% off 👇
Metal retweeted
Three years ago, Senan Khawaja (Kollegio) knew nothing about fundraising. He just closed his round on @Metalraise.
He used @Metalraise to find education investors by activity, fund size and partner track record, then got warm intros through other founders.
Come join us & learn more about @Techstars thesis & winning patterns David has noticed through years of investing 🚀
Link to register below 👇
Next week on @metalraise's Behind the Raise: @DavidCohen, Co-Founder & CEO of @Techstars.
29+ unicorns backed. $349B+ combined portfolio value. Arguably the most prominent pre-seed investor/accelerator globally.
We're talking about the winning patterns he's seen across decades of backing early-stage founders — and the Techstars thesis on investing in early stage founders.
Link to register in comments👇
Metal retweeted
Most founders start their raise with a big list of VCs from LinkedIn/Twitter.
Then they realise: a list isn't a pipeline. There is no way to tell who's relevant, no idea who can intro you -- and everyone has the same names.
Ashish Patel (Founder, dbTwin) hit this exact wall: "It doesn't seem compelling... it's just a list of VCs I can pull now with Claude."
With @Metalraise, his most-used feature is relationship intelligence — find the right investors, then find the warm paths to them through founders he already knows, all via Metal.
Watch below 👇
Metal retweeted
🔥🚀
Today we're announcing @metalraise $4.5M Seed Round, led by @a16z @speedrun / @ycombinator.
With participation from @pioneer_fund, Rebel Fund, @gaingelsvc, @indusvalleycap, @teamignitevc, @PhazeVentures and others.
In less than a year of launch, and with six consecutive quarters of 30-80% q/q growth, Metal is tracking for multi-million annual revenue run rate by the end of FY2026.
The core missing infrastructure in private markets has been an investor memory layer, an effort that we've been working on for three years. Today, for the first time, we are publishing our thesis on how private markets will evolve in the years ahead. See press release in comments below!
Metal retweeted
Extremely excited for this! Seems like the dawn of the age for fundraising. Making access to capital easier for the best founders and companies
Today we're announcing @metalraise $4.5M Seed Round, led by @a16z @speedrun / @ycombinator.
With participation from @pioneer_fund, Rebel Fund, @gaingelsvc, @indusvalleycap, @teamignitevc, @PhazeVentures and others.
In less than a year of launch, and with six consecutive quarters of 30-80% q/q growth, Metal is tracking for multi-million annual revenue run rate by the end of FY2026.
The core missing infrastructure in private markets has been an investor memory layer, an effort that we've been working on for three years. Today, for the first time, we are publishing our thesis on how private markets will evolve in the years ahead. See press release in comments below!
Metal retweeted
This is the way forward @founders_everwhere__!! Congrats on building the foundational layer for the future of founders + venture discovery 🤝
Today we're announcing @metalraise $4.5M Seed Round, led by @a16z @speedrun / @ycombinator.
With participation from @pioneer_fund, Rebel Fund, @gaingelsvc, @indusvalleycap, @teamignitevc, @PhazeVentures and others.
In less than a year of launch, and with six consecutive quarters of 30-80% q/q growth, Metal is tracking for multi-million annual revenue run rate by the end of FY2026.
The core missing infrastructure in private markets has been an investor memory layer, an effort that we've been working on for three years. Today, for the first time, we are publishing our thesis on how private markets will evolve in the years ahead. See press release in comments below!
Metal retweeted
Cracked team super useful tool
Today we're announcing @metalraise $4.5M Seed Round, led by @a16z @speedrun / @ycombinator.
With participation from @pioneer_fund, Rebel Fund, @gaingelsvc, @indusvalleycap, @teamignitevc, @PhazeVentures and others.
In less than a year of launch, and with six consecutive quarters of 30-80% q/q growth, Metal is tracking for multi-million annual revenue run rate by the end of FY2026.
The core missing infrastructure in private markets has been an investor memory layer, an effort that we've been working on for three years. Today, for the first time, we are publishing our thesis on how private markets will evolve in the years ahead. See press release in comments below!
Metal retweeted
These guys are solid, check them out
Today we're announcing @metalraise $4.5M Seed Round, led by @a16z @speedrun / @ycombinator.
With participation from @pioneer_fund, Rebel Fund, @gaingelsvc, @indusvalleycap, @teamignitevc, @PhazeVentures and others.
In less than a year of launch, and with six consecutive quarters of 30-80% q/q growth, Metal is tracking for multi-million annual revenue run rate by the end of FY2026.
The core missing infrastructure in private markets has been an investor memory layer, an effort that we've been working on for three years. Today, for the first time, we are publishing our thesis on how private markets will evolve in the years ahead. See press release in comments below!
Metal retweeted
Usman raised $120M the painful way, talked to hundreds of investors, and watched most of them be a bad fit.
Then he built software around that specific waste.
You can feel that in the product framing. This is not a generic private-markets pitch.
🤝 Paid partnership
Today we're announcing @metalraise $4.5M Seed Round, led by @a16z @speedrun / @ycombinator.
With participation from @pioneer_fund, Rebel Fund, @gaingelsvc, @indusvalleycap, @teamignitevc, @PhazeVentures and others.
In less than a year of launch, and with six consecutive quarters of 30-80% q/q growth, Metal is tracking for multi-million annual revenue run rate by the end of FY2026.
The core missing infrastructure in private markets has been an investor memory layer, an effort that we've been working on for three years. Today, for the first time, we are publishing our thesis on how private markets will evolve in the years ahead. See press release in comments below!
Metal retweeted
Big shoutout to the Metal team; genuinely impressive build.
hope we close our pre-seed using Metal very soon.
rooting for @usmangul and the whole @metalraise team 🙌
Today we're announcing @metalraise $4.5M Seed Round, led by @a16z @speedrun / @ycombinator.
With participation from @pioneer_fund, Rebel Fund, @gaingelsvc, @indusvalleycap, @teamignitevc, @PhazeVentures and others.
In less than a year of launch, and with six consecutive quarters of 30-80% q/q growth, Metal is tracking for multi-million annual revenue run rate by the end of FY2026.
The core missing infrastructure in private markets has been an investor memory layer, an effort that we've been working on for three years. Today, for the first time, we are publishing our thesis on how private markets will evolve in the years ahead. See press release in comments below!
Metal retweeted
Startup fundraising has always been challenging due to information asymmetry. The best founders and investors build up years of context around who invests in what, how they think, when they’re likely to engage, and the best way to reach them. This has historically lived in people’s heads, spreadsheets and networks.
Metal is turning that private context into intelligence layer available to all founders.
Metal started with helping founders identify and engage the right investors, and is now evolving into something much bigger: an AI-native operating system for capital formation, spanning fundraising, investor relations and eventually much more of the company-investor lifecycle.
Huge congratulations to @usmangul and the @MetalRaise team on their $4.5M Seed led by @a16z @speedrun and @ycombinator, with participation from @indusvalleycap, @pioneer_fund, @RebelFund_VC and others.
Proud of what they have built and excited to be part of the journey.
On September 2nd, we're hosting two founders who recently closed their Series A.
In this session, we'll dive into why Series A rounds have a lower success rate than earlier stage rounds, what it takes to get a startup to Series A and the process of running a successful Series A round.
Joining us: Steven Plappert (Founder/CEO @forecastr) and @MKFayer (CEO at DeepLook Medical).
Register link in the thread 👇
Metal retweeted
On September 2nd, I'll be co-hosting a Series A masterclass alongside @usmangul, the CEO and co-founder of @MetalRaise.
Did you know that only 17% of seed-funded startups make it to Series A? Out of those that try, about 20% actually close the round.
We're bringing in two founders who actually closed theirs to break it down.
Steven Plappert (Forecastr, $7M Series A) and Marissa Fayer (DeepLook Medical, concept to FDA clearance to Series A) will explain exactly how their rounds came together.
If you're a founder thinking about eventually raising a series A, you can't miss this.
Register using the link in the comments.
