If you’re planning to raise a Series A in the next 12 to 24 months, the rules you think you’re playing by may already be outdated.

Series A isn’t just harder — it’s slower, more selective, and increasingly unforgiving. The bar has shifted, and many founders are still optimizing for a version of the market that no longer exists.

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, taking place October 13-15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, one session on the Builders Stage cuts directly into that gap, led by some of the VCs shaping the next funding cycle: The Series A in 2027.

This isn’t a retrospective. It’s a forward-looking breakdown of what it will actually take to raise in the next funding cycle and who will get left behind. Get your passes to Disrupt and join this session live. This offer to buy one, get one at 50% off ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Image Credits:TechCrunch

Get ahead of Series A changes

The window between building and raising has stretched. Metrics that once signaled readiness are being questioned. Teams that would have been fundable two years ago are now getting passed over. And in many cases, founders don’t realize it until they’re already in the market.

This session is designed to correct that before it costs you time, leverage, or your round.

What “fundable” actually means now

The definition of a “fundable” company is being rewritten in real time. In this session, you’ll get a direct view of how top investors are recalibrating:

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This Week Only: Buy one pass, get the second at 50% off

Your next round. Your next hire. Your next breakout opportunity. Find it at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where 10,000+ founders, investors, and tech leaders gather for three days of 250+ tactical sessions, powerful introductions, and market-defining innovation. Register before May 8 to bring a +1 at half the cost.

This Week Only: Buy one pass, get the second at 50% off

San Francisco, CA

October 13-15, 2026

- What traction actually signals readiness, and what no longer does

- How expectations around growth, efficiency, and capital have changed

- What product and GTM milestones matter heading into a raise

- Where AI is raising the bar and where it’s distorting signals

This is practical information you can use right away. It reveals how decisions are being made right now and how they’ll be made when you go out to raise. Secure your ticket to Disrupt to learn what it takes (now) to raise.

Who you’re hearing from onstage

This Builders Stage session brings together investors who are actively shaping the next funding cycle — not commenting on the last one.

Nina Achadjian, Partner at Index Ventures

Nina Achadjian invests across seed to growth in AI, robotics, and vertical SaaS. She works closely with companies like Anthropic, Gong, and ServiceTitan, and brings both operator experience from Google and early-stage investing insight.

Image Credits:Index Ventures

Janelle Teng Wade, Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners

Janelle Teng Wade focuses on early-stage AI/ML, data infrastructure, and developer platforms. She co-authors Bessemer’s widely referenced State of the Cloud Report and helps define their frameworks for scaling to $100 million+ in revenue.

Shailendra Singh, Managing Director, Peak XV

Shailendra Signh has been part of a firm that has backed 500+ companies and category leaders like CRED, Pine Labs, and Druva. The firm’s portfolio has produced 30+ IPOs and dozens of $100 million+ revenue companies.

Image Credits:Lionel Ng/Bloomberg / Getty Images

These are investors defining what the next wave of venture-backed companies needs to look like — through the companies they fund, the frameworks they build, and the standards they apply. Register for Disrupt to access this session and 250+ others.

What you’ll walk away with

The goal of this session is simple: clarity. You’ll leave with a sharper understanding of:

- What metrics you should actually be building toward.

- How to structure your team ahead of a raise.

- What signals investors are prioritizing — and what they’re ignoring.

- How to position your company in a more selective market.

And just as importantly, you’ll learn what to stop optimizing for. Because in this environment, doing the wrong things well doesn’t help; it sets you back. Buy your pass to Disrupt before prices increase.

Image Credits:Slava Blazer Photography / Flickr (opens in a new window)

Where this fits at Disrupt

This session is part of the Builders Stage lineup at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, where sessions are built around execution, not theory. This is where founders go to pressure-test their strategy, recalibrate their assumption

Live only at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Why most founders are already behind on raising a Series A in 2027