Story of Entrepreneur logo
Est. MMXXVI · Issue 01
Story of Entrepreneur
Playroom · Fundraising

Round Planner

Calculate how much to raise, see dilution impact, find the right investors, and understand term sheet terms before you sign.

Round calculator
Investor targeting
Angel$25K - $100K

Early stage, personal networks

Best for: Pre-seed, bridge rounds

Micro VC$100K - $500K

Pre-seed / Seed

Best for: Early product-market fit

Seed VC$500K - $3M

Seed stage, strong teams

Best for: Proven traction, scaling

Term sheet explorer

Understand each term before you negotiate. These are the terms that determine whether the deal serves you or consumes you.

Liquidation preference (1x standard)

Investors get their money back before common shareholders in an exit. Higher multiples (2x, 3x) are founder-unfriendly.

Anti-dilution (weighted average)

Protects investors from down rounds. Standard weighted average is fair. Full ratchet is founder-unfriendly.

Board seats (investor vs founder control)

Founders typically keep board control through Series A. Giving away board seats early reduces your strategic flexibility.

Option pool (pre- vs post-money)

Pre-money option pool dilutes founders only. Post-money dilutes everyone including the new investor.

Vesting (standard 4-year with 1-year cliff)

Founder vesting aligns incentives and protects the company. Unvested shares return to the company on departure.

Pro-rata rights

Allows investors to maintain their ownership percentage in future rounds. Standard, but excessive pro-rata can block new investors.