# pre seed — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 9 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover pre seed. Page: Feed: --- ## [Guideless raises €1M pre-seed to automate workplace training manuals](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/guideless-raises-e1m-pre-seed-to-automate-workplace-training-manuals) _2026-08-20 · Startups Editorial · Startups Magazine_ Guideless has raised a €1 million pre-seed funding round to help companies significantly reduce time and money spent on creating and maintaining workflow training materials. The round was led by Superhero Capital, with participation from FIRSTPICK VC and angel investors Thomas Plantenga (Group CEO of Vinted), Vytautas Atkočaitis (Vinted Go CEO), and Vinted co-founder Mantas… ## [Solinide raises €4M to commercialise photonic chip tech for data centres](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/solinide-raises-e4m-to-commercialise-photonic-chip-tech-for-data-centres) _2026-08-20 · Startups Editorial · Startups Magazine_ Solinide Photonics, developer of silicon nitride photonic integrated circuits for optical interconnects, has closed its €4 million seed funding round from six financial and strategic investors. The raise represents an important milestone for Solinide and will enable the startup to commercialise its patented technology and prepare for scalable manufacturing. The company’s ultra-efficient photonics… ## [Why AI is becoming harder to budget for](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/why-ai-is-becoming-harder-to-budget-for) _2026-08-20 · Katie Barnett · Startups Magazine_ For most business technology, the cost is relatively easy to understand. You buy a licence, agree a contract or pay for a certain level of usage, and you have a reasonable idea of what you will spend over the year. AI is making that much harder. As businesses move beyond individual AI subscriptions and start… ## [UK business population hits record despite new startup slowdown](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/uk-business-population-hits-record-despite-new-startup-slowdown) _2026-08-20 · Anna Wood · Startups Magazine_ Business in the UK is booming, with the UK’s active business population hitting a record 5.66 million companies. Despite a moderation in new company incorporations, this figure highlights the strength and adaptability of British entrepreneurship. This comes from the latest New Startup Index, produced by NatWest in partnership with Beauhurst. A total of 402,000 new… ## [What it will actually take for Germany’s Startup Factories to work](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/what-it-will-actually-take-for-germanys-startup-factories-to-work) _2026-08-20 · Philipp Herrmann · Startups Magazine_ About a year ago, the German government awarded 10 regional innovation hubs as “Startup Factories”, each backed by up to €10 million in federal funding over five years. Between them, they now involve 126 universities and 144 business and financing partners, with around €110 million in additional private capital pledged. The initiative marks one of… ## [Uncovering hidden signals of value: the power of a portfolio relationship intelligence system](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/uncovering-hidden-signals-of-value-the-power-of-a-portfolio-relationship-intelligence-system) _2026-08-19 · Dr Marta G. Zanchi · Startups Magazine_ Every venture fund claims to have a strong network, however very few can describe its boundaries, density, or blind spots. Over the past 12 months, we mapped every business relationship connected to the portfolio companies across our three funds, turning a common claim into something we can audit. The premise is simple: a network that… ## [Why startups need to rethink talent in the age of AI](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/why-startups-need-to-rethink-talent-in-the-age-of-ai) _2026-08-19 · Liz Capants · Startups Magazine_ Artificial intelligence is changing how startups work. It is helping founders automate processes, analyse data, develop products, create content, and accomplish tasks that once required entire teams. But there is a paradox emerging. The more technology we use, the more important people become. For startups, this is particularly significant. Young companies are often operating with limited… ## [Why convenience is the most overlooked opportunity for scaleups](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/why-convenience-is-the-most-overlooked-opportunity-for-scaleups) _2026-08-19 · Tim Morris · Startups Magazine_ Innovation has become a buzzword for startups. When moving from startup to scaleup, the default for technology companies has been to chase the next breakthrough product to enhance growth. But after building two businesses in the specialist cleaning sector, I’ve come to believe that they’ve been directing their energy in the wrong place. In mature… ## [The allowance that used to cover a small business sale is now £3,000](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/the-allowance-that-used-to-cover-a-small-business-sale-is-now-3000) _2026-08-19 · Harvey Dhillon · Startups Magazine_ Founders planning an exit tend to research the rates. They are 18% and 24%, having risen for disposals on or after 30 October 2024, and they are the figures every guide leads with. The number that decides whether a sale is straightforward or expensive is not a rate. It is the annual exempt amount, the… ## [Why brands don’t fail overnight: 9 mistakes that weaken your brand](https://startupsmagazine.co.uk/why-brands-dont-fail-overnight-9-mistakes-that-weaken-your-brand) _2026-08-18 · Dionysis Livanis · Startups Magazine_ When people think of a brand failing, they often imagine one big mistake. A disastrous rebrand. A PR crisis. A product launch that falls flat. But as a brand strategist and creative director, I’ve seen that this is rarely how it happens. Most brands don’t lose their way because of one big decision. They lose… ## [AI News Summaries & Audio (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/hdOuUt9edhLy) _2026-08-18 · **Sponsored**_ Tap an article for an AI summary and an audio briefing. ## [From Facebook's Early Days to a Solo $10M Pre-Seed Fund | Helen Min, Articulate Capital](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/from-facebooks-early-days-to-a-solo) _2026-08-16 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ Our latest episode is with Helen Min, founder of Articulate , the $10 million pre-seed fund she launched this year and runs solo, and venture partner at True Ventures. Helen has spent twenty years in San Francisco, most of it as an operator rather than an investor. She was an early product marketer at Facebook, ran marketing and communications at Plaid through the years it positioned itself as the… [Listen](https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/211206788/52df3bea2818eb0a00ba86210f56e723.mp3) ## [Standard Investment Documents: The ESOP](https://italianfoundersfund.substack.com/p/standard-investment-documents-the-833) _2026-08-12 · Irene Mingozzi · Italian Founders Fund's Substack_ The #1 tool for founders to attract and retain talent, explained ## [A Quarter Mile at a Time](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/a-quarter-mile-at-a-time) _2026-08-09 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ For decades, venture capital was associated with creative destruction. Recently, it has drifted toward risk-averse incrementalism, serving the incumbents it used to disrupt. ## [Two Founders Blew Up a Startup Together. Eight Years Later, They Built a Unicorn](https://schneida.substack.com/p/two-founders-blew-up-a-startup-together) _2026-08-08 · Michael Schneider · Cutting through the Noise_ Ante Spittler and Anton Rummel's first company collapsed in a six-figure-a-month bidding war. Their second just closed a €30 million round that values it at €1 billion. ## [How to set early stage startup valuation?](https://vclens.substack.com/p/how-to-set-early-stage-startup-valuation) _2026-08-07 · Sayanee Bhowmik · The VC Lens_ The VC Lens Academy : Session #002 ## [How Chaotic Capital Bets on Founders, Pre-Idea | Alex Miller, Chaotic Capital](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/how-chaotic-capital-bets-on-founders) _2026-08-02 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ A few weeks ago I jumped on a call with Alex Miller, co-founder of Chaotic Capital , the early-stage fund he runs with Julie Fredrickson. Their thesis is that the world is too chaotic to predict, so the only thing worth betting on is a founder’s ability to adapt to it. Alex came to venture from outside the industry. Concert producer, conference producer for Jason Calacanis, eight and a half years… [Listen](https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/209266988/832f0f083538eff80293337abfd116b9.mp3) ## [Polar Raised $5.7M After a Customer Fired Clay](https://schneida.substack.com/p/polar-raised-57m-after-a-customer) _2026-08-01 · Michael Schneider · Cutting through the Noise_ Its founder helped build Perplexity's Comet browser before leaving to build this one. ## [15 VC Funds You Need to Know (2026)](https://vclens.substack.com/p/15-vc-funds-you-need-to-know-2026) _2026-08-01 · Sayanee Bhowmik · The VC Lens_ Funds that launched new funds & are writing fast cheques ## [Standard Investment Documents: The Term Sheet](https://italianfoundersfund.substack.com/p/standard-investment-documents-the) _2026-07-29 · Irene Mingozzi · Italian Founders Fund's Substack_ The first document we are sharing as part of the Standard Investment Documents Series is arguably the most critical: The Term Sheet ## [The SPV is Dead, Long Live the SPV](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/the-spv-is-dead-long-live-the-spv) _2026-07-26 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ Private markets are evolving; the dominance of the ten-year fund is making way for capital deployed by more flexible discretionary vehicles with better terms. ## [Refer a Friend, Earn Rewards (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/rMXgCZMxoXYm) _2026-07-26 · **Sponsored**_ Earn rewards when friends get the Graphite Business Card through your referral. ## [The AI Industry Is Funding Its Own Distribution Layer](https://schneida.substack.com/p/the-ai-industry-is-funding-its-own) _2026-07-25 · Michael Schneider · Cutting through the Noise_ Passionfroot raised $15M from Anthropic's own lead backer - to sell AI companies access to the creators talking about them. ## [We are sharing our Standard Investment documents](https://italianfoundersfund.substack.com/p/we-are-sharing-our-standard-investment) _2026-07-22 · Irene Mingozzi · Italian Founders Fund's Substack_ We are making public our Term Sheet, ESOP and investment agreement ## [Gaps in Reality](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/there-is-no-playbook) _2026-07-19 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ Cyan Banister on why the biggest wins come from the most unusual places. ## [€2M ARR on €1.2M: How Promptwatch Sold Its €6M AI Search Optimization Round](https://schneida.substack.com/p/2m-arr-on-12m-how-promptwatch-sold) _2026-07-18 · Michael Schneider · Cutting through the Noise_ Two repeat founders got two funds to underwrite the same number, for the Amsterdam platform that makes brands visible inside ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity. ## [Elorian raised $55M pre product - Here's what's relavant for you from their story](https://vclens.substack.com/p/elorian-raised-55m-pre-product-heres) _2026-07-18 · Sayanee Bhowmik · The VC Lens_ Andrew Dai left Google DeepMind, closed a $300M pre-seed valuation in five months, and turned down higher offers to do it. Here’s exactly how — and what it means for you. ## [The Individual Versus the Firm](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/diseconomies-of-growth) _2026-07-12 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ Venture capitalists tend to understand success through the pursuit of scale, and yet scale is more likely to create failure than to enable success. ## [They Told Him VCs Don't Fund Consulting. He Raised €10M Anyway](https://schneida.substack.com/p/they-told-him-vcs-dont-fund-consulting) _2026-07-11 · Michael Schneider · Cutting through the Noise_ How Berlin PropTech Fuchs & Eule turned "boring" energy-renovation advisory into a data moat, got GET Fund to lead, and had all three existing investors pile back in. ## [The 47-Tab Problem: Why Founders Research Everything and Pitch Nobody](https://vclens.substack.com/p/the-47-tab-problem-why-founders-research) _2026-07-10 · Sayanee Bhowmik · The VC Lens_ A smarter way to build your investor shortlist — and actually send the email ## [Your network has a shape. Have you ever looked at it?](https://italianfoundersfund.substack.com/p/your-network-has-a-shape-have-you) _2026-07-09 · Lorenzo Cantini · Italian Founders Fund's Substack_ In venture, access is everything, but how is access created? ## [The Anti-Fund: One Investor's Bet on SPVs | Enrico Mellis, Animal](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/the-anti-fund-one-investors-bet-on) _2026-07-09 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ Enrico Mellis spent a year at the startup that became Foodora, nearly five at Project A, and four and a half more at Lakestar. In November 2025 he launched Animal: no fund, no management fee, just his own check going in first on every deal, with a small group of angels invited in behind him. Here’s what stuck with me: Venture is really three jobs wearing one trenchcoat: sourcing, selecting and… [Listen](https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/206281737/260f2327de3a1d4c40d6ddeb402fcade.mp3) ## [Real SIMs for AI Agents (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/SBUGOaYemqsA) _2026-07-09 · **Sponsored**_ Pass 2FA and verifications with real carrier numbers via our API. ## [The Sick Man of Private Markets](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/the-sick-man-of-private-markets) _2026-07-05 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ Private equity was forced to get fit after the Global Financial Crisis. Venture capital's megafunds would benefit from a similar intervention. ## [They Met 45 Funds and Got Zero Term Sheets. Then the Round Died. Then It Closed.](https://schneida.substack.com/p/they-met-45-funds-and-got-zero-term) _2026-07-04 · Michael Schneider · Cutting through the Noise_ The real story of sunbay.io's €550K pre-seed, and why both funds that said no ended up writing the cheques. ## [The Ownership Math Every Founder Gets Wrong Before Their First Priced Round](https://vclens.substack.com/p/the-ownership-math-every-founder) _2026-07-03 · Sayanee Bhowmik · The VC Lens_ How SAFE notes silently eat your equity — and how to see exactly where you'll land before you sign anything ## [The Venture Capitalist's World Model](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/the-venture-capitalists-world-model) _2026-06-28 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ Venture capital has roots in financing exploration, and in many ways that's what the industry still does today — the horizons are just less literal. ## [They Were Tokenizing YouTube Videos. Now They Move Millions a Day](https://schneida.substack.com/p/they-were-tokenizing-youtube-videos) _2026-06-27 · Michael Schneider · Cutting through the Noise_ The accidental pivot that turned Talentir into a payout-infrastructure company, and got an ex-Google CFO to back it. ## [The Company You Keep](https://hsep.substack.com/p/the-company-you-keep) _2026-06-26 · Mitch · High Street Insights_ What 100+ coinvestors across our portfolio tell us about where the best founders actually are ## [Why we invested in Compri](https://italianfoundersfund.substack.com/p/why-we-invested-in-compri) _2026-06-24 · Lorenzo Franzi · Italian Founders Fund's Substack_ Today Compri announced a €3.2M seed round led by Picus Capital. We’d co-led their pre-seed with Dutch Founders Fund before there was a product to show, and no we're back in. Here's why. ## [Investing in Products with Community at their Core | Sarah Drinkwater, Common Magic](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/investing-in-products-with-community) _2026-06-23 · Patrick Ryan · The Odin Times_ A few weeks ago I sat down with Sarah Drinkwater, founder of Common Magic. Sarah came to venture from the outside. Journalist, club night runner, vintage clothing shop owner, operator, angel. Her journey looks nothing like a straight line. As you often find, that’s kind of the point. Her fund, Common Magic , backs products with community at their core, building on her experience creating products… [Listen](https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/203216115/59fd0b06436139291145aa113d813112.mp3) ## [The Race](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/the-race) _2026-06-21 · An Rón · The Odin Times_ An aging, chubbing man embarks on a half marathon while contemplating AI, consciousness and human solidarity ## [Why Sequoia Led Odessia's $6M Pre-Seed Before a Single Line of Product Shipped](https://schneida.substack.com/p/why-sequoia-led-odessias-6m-pre-seed) _2026-06-20 · Michael Schneider · Cutting through the Noise_ Sequoia scored his idea a 7 out of 10 and led the round anyway, on a decade-deep edge and a very public failure. The redemption-raise playbook, in full. ## [What We Learned by Mapping Every Startup in Arkansas](https://hsep.substack.com/p/what-we-learned-by-mapping-every) _2026-06-19 · Mitch · High Street Insights_ Most venture capital is a herd animal. ## [Round Design : Why Your Next Funding Round Should Have More Than One Type of Investor](https://vclens.substack.com/p/round-design-why-your-next-funding) _2026-06-19 · Sayanee Bhowmik · The VC Lens_ How to structure your funding round and why a deliberate mix of VCs, angels, family offices, syndicates, and CVCs closes faster and compounds more value. ## [Future Venture Capitalism](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/encyclopedia-galactica) _2026-06-14 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ What venture capital should look like in the age of LLMs ## [He Sold the Round Before He Opened It: How Podero Staged a €5.5M Oversubscribed Seed](https://schneida.substack.com/p/he-sold-the-round-before-he-opened) _2026-06-13 · Michael Schneider · Cutting through the Noise_ Three months of staged news, no-pitch coffees, and a round run like a sales pipeline. The full playbook. ## [Which Number Actually Matters Right Now?](https://hsep.substack.com/p/which-number-actually-matters-right) _2026-06-12 · Mitch · High Street Insights_ A Founder’s Guide to Metrics by Stage ## [Every VC is a Media Company Now](https://italianfoundersfund.substack.com/p/every-vc-is-a-media-company-now) _2026-06-12 · Alberto Trevisanato · Italian Founders Fund's Substack_ How media is changing the VC landscape, and what IFF is doing about it. ## [Corporate Venture Capital Explained: What Early-Stage Founders Need to Know Before Taking a CVC Cheque](https://vclens.substack.com/p/corporate-venture-capital-explained) _2026-06-12 · Sayanee Bhowmik · The VC Lens_ CVC is the fastest-growing source of venture capital in 2026 — but it plays by completely different rules. Here is what it means for your fundraising strategy, your cap table, and your exit. ## [From Banking Analyst to Three-Fund Solo GP | Adam Besvinick, Looking Glass Capital](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/from-banking-analyst-to-three-fund) _2026-06-11 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ Adam Besvinick of Looking Glass Capital has been investing at pre-seed for over a decade — solo, and on his own terms. In this episode, he joins Dan to talk about cold-emailing his way into a role at Lowercase Capital, what he learned from Chris Sacca that still guides him today, and what marks don't tell you about the companies that matter most. The Odin Times A newsletter about venture capital,… [Listen](https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/201443117/b1659e78a674e10bb4ad3fb09286f67d.mp3) ## [Survival of the Fittest](https://blog.joinodin.com/p/survival-of-the-fittest) _2026-06-07 · Dan Gray · The Odin Times_ The path to scaling venture capital must avoid propping up a larger number of marginal companies and feeding fee extraction. ## [From a Wine Cellar to a16z in 18 Months](https://schneida.substack.com/p/from-a-wine-cellar-to-a16z-in-18) _2026-06-06 · Michael Schneider · Cutting through the Noise_ How four Swedes made the most boring job in engineering the most-watched fundraise of the year.