Investors to outline new Series A requirements at Disrupt 2026

The fundraising environment for securing a Series A—defined as the first significant round of venture capital financing—is becoming harder, slower, more selective, and more unforgiving for startups. The window between building and raising has stretched, and metrics that once signaled readiness are being questioned. Teams that would have been fundable two years ago are now being passed over. For founders who are planning to raise capital in the next 12 to 24 months, the traditional rules they expect to play by may already be outdated. Instead, the very definition of what constitutes a fundable company is being rewritten in real time, forcing startups to adapt to changing investor expectations.

To address these market shifts, the Builders Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will host a session featuring venture capitalists who are actively navigating and shaping the next funding cycle. Rather than commenting on past trends, these speakers are defining what the next wave of venture-backed companies needs to look like. The session is designed to provide founders with clarity on what metrics they should actually build toward, how to structure their teams ahead of a raise, and what signals investors are prioritizing or ignoring. The panel will offer frameworks for scaling businesses to $100 million+ in revenue and outline what traction and go-to-market (GTM) milestones matter in the current market.

The featured speakers include:

• Nina Achadjian, Partner at Index Ventures, who will share insights on the shifting standards for early-stage companies.
• Janelle Teng Wade, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, who helps define the firm’s frameworks for scaling businesses to $100 million+ in revenue.
• Shailendra Singh, Managing Director at Peak XV, who brings experience from a firm that has backed 500+ companies and produced 30+ IPOs.

The TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 event will take place from October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco. The conference features over 250 sessions across multiple tracks, offering practical insights on execution and fundraising rather than theory. Attendees can currently save $410 on their tickets, with a buy-one-get-one 50% off offer available until the deadline tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Why it matters

The Series A fundraising environment is shifting, with founders often optimizing for outdated market conditions, making it critical for them to understand new investor expectations regarding traction and growth.