Inside Startup Funding unpacks founder rounds, VC decisions, and the realities of scaling. Brought to you by @GetAsterHQ and @28thandPark.
New York
Joined September 2025
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"I'm not writing you a check because it happened to you."
Investor Naseem Sayani's test for founders: can you describe your company in two sentences without mentioning your customer's gender or any kind of pain?
If not, rewrite your elevator pitch until you can.
The top 2% of startups have unlimited funding. Everyone else is fighting for scraps.
@jake_yormak of @storyvc and @SamirBakhru of @Orrick on what's actually getting funded right now, and what to do if that's not you.
Inside Startup Funding Unfiltered. Links in thread.
NEW EPISODE: Inside Startup Funding Unfiltered is live.
$1.5M ARR in 18 months used to get you funded. Not anymore.
@jake_yormak of @storyvc and @SamirBakhru of @Orrick on why the bar for venture just jumped.
Full episode links in thread.
NEW EPISODE: Inside the Fund with Mike Chan is live.
“We don’t have any competition” is a red flag.
@mikewchan of @DeepVenturesVC on why founders obsess over competitors, what competition validates, and where their attention should go instead.
Full episode links in thread.
Full episode with Mike Chan:
YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=uP8JZKaV…
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4jWGA2…
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
Substack: insidestartupfunding.substac…
Your tech might not be your moat anymore.
@mikewchan of @DeepVenturesVC says that as products get easier to replicate, distribution, customer access, adoption, and network become the advantage.
Full Inside the Fund episode drops tomorrow. 👀
NEW EPISODE: Inside the Round with Clair Health
Abhinav Agarwal: go after hard problems.
@jennysduan: don’t be the one who turns yourself down.
We unpack Clair Health’s $11.6M raise, A16Z Speedrun, investor fit + why women’s health isn’t niche.
Out NOW. Links in thread.
Full episode:
YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=70Lco8wc…
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4jWGA2…
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
Substack: insidestartupfunding.substac…
Women make up 50% of the population. Yet Clair Health’s founders kept hearing that women’s health was “niche.”
@jennysduan + Abhinav Agarwal on fundraising, investor alignment, and the gap they’re building for.
Full episode drops tomorrow.
“There’s a big difference between having a good company and raising money.”
Lucia Mari Sanguino learned that firsthand raising AIVA TECH’s $1.5M pre-seed.
Her take: fundraising is a game, and founders need to learn the rules.
Full episode is LIVE now. Links in thread.
Watch or listen to the full episode:
YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=GY4fxJ1V…
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/650…
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
Read more on Substack: insidestartupfunding.substac…
NEW EPISODE: The Fundraising Rules Nobody Teaches
Lucia Mari Sanguino, co-founder & CEO of AIVA TECH, breaks down the strategy behind her $1.5M pre-seed: investor FOMO, warm intros, pitch iteration, co-founder roles, and why “being rude” actually worked.
Links in thread👇
Watch or listen to the full episode:
YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=GY4fxJ1V…
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/650…
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…
Read more on Substack: insidestartupfunding.substac…
Lucia Mari Sanguino changed her approach mid-fundraise: shorter emails, less reassurance, more directness, even prompting Claude to write like a “rich white man.”
Tomorrow on ISF, she breaks down her $1.5M pre-seed raise for AIVA Tech, investor FOMO, warm intros, and more.
“They’re choosing you as much as you’re choosing them.”
Christy Lane (Flora Fertility): VCs evaluate you - you should evaluate them too.
Full episode OUT NOW. Covers $5M seed, investor alignment, category creation, second-time founder lessons. Links in thread.
Watch or listen to the full episode:
🎥 YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=BIFTD650…
📰 Substack: insidestartupfunding.substac…
🎧 Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/2qe…
🍎 Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcas…