Last week, I had a blast talking to a fantastic group of founders and entrepreneurs at Women + Tech at the Atlanta Tech Village!
The topic?
What founders need to know about raising capital in 2026 — what’s the same, what’s different, and the tactical tips that top founders use.
Here is the FULL SLIDE DECK with a bulleted summary below and some photos!
Not included in the summary:
Say your First Name, Last Name, Title, and sound awesome (our warmup!)
Great audience questions!
Check out what the brilliant and talented Heather Gibbons shared, like, 12 minutes after the event ended:
SUPER AWESOME SUMMARY (that’s definitely better than this one!)
If you’re feeling a little FOMO…
See you at next fun thing!
What Founders Need To Know About Raising Capital in 2026
Same As Always
True in 2006, 2016, 2026
What Venture Investors (Still) Look For
Big markets ($100M in revenue)
Ambitious founders
What Successful Founders Have In Common
Resilience
Authenticity → be the best version of yourself! Foundership can look different.
BIG MARKETS!
A Whole New World
What’s different (and working) in 2026
But Wait…Software Moats
AI is disrupting traditional software — but moats still exist!
Straight from David Cummings recent blog which came from Gokul Rajaram on 20VC.
Moats to look for:
Data
Workflow
Regulatory
Distribution
Ecosystem
Network
Physical Infrastructure
Scale
Want to see it in real life? Check out Infinite Giving, Greenzie, Carpool Logistics, and AdPipe!
So Hot Right Now
In-person + physical world businesses with AI efficiencies (Dandy, January)
Robotics (Undaunted)
AI consulting (Fastlane AI)
99% AI businesses (Reframe, Interlock Studios)
How To Raise
Tips and tricks that top founders use
10 Fundraising Pro Tips
Confidence. Fake it ‘til you make it.
Go to Pitch Practice → pitchpractice.co
WATCH: The real reason female entrepreneurs get less funding (Dana Kanze — TED Talk)
Investor fit — who has $$ that cares about this problem?
Metrics: yours + industry benchmarks. BONUS: look at public companies in their early days
Read the O’Daily 😉 (hehehe. You already completed this one!)
#1 Capital Source
True in 2026 & always
Customers that pay you!!!!!
Get Paid Without A Product
Design partners
Consulting
Run (paid) experiments
Founder creativity
Photos!!!!
#sorrynotsorry for all the selfies. I’m basically a professional photographer but I work for free. Stay scrappy, friends.
What questions do you have about raising capital in 2026? What’s working (or not working) for you right now?
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