As startups navigate this competitive fundraising environment, we wanted to understand which types of startups are getting funding, which strategies are most effective, how artificial intelligence (AI) is playing into raising capital, and where founders are finding growth resources. 

To help address these challenges and guide startups in their investment journeys, we surveyed 500 early-stage startup founders across the United States, UK, Ireland, Germany, and France, and talked to founders and VCs about their experiences.

Who's winning the new battle for startup funding?

These days, funding dollars are hard to come by. Global VC investments are "tepid" and the fundraising scene for startups is more complex than ever, following several years of massive investments, then a steep slowdown in 2022. Today, VCs are looking for profitability, and the most important metric they're focusing on is revenue growth rate.

74% of founders feel that startup fundraising has been more challenging or the same as last year in 2024

"Believe the 'no', ignore the 'why.' We got passed on by over 100 investors.”  shared Arjun Mahadevan, CEO of doola. "Something I learned the hard way is that in life, if anyone's interested, they're going to move faster, and you need to be prepared for that."