💰 Who Got Funded + How Often Should You Tweak Your Pitch Deck? 🚀

👋 Hey Founder,

Last week, 161 startups raised Seed & Series A rounds, securing a combined $981M in funding. Investors are still writing checks, but they’re more selective than ever.

In this issue, we’ll cover:
✅ Who got funded & why investors are betting on them
✅ How often you should tweak your pitch deck (Hint: It’s more often than you think)
✅ The power of a founder’s personal brand in today’s market
✅ How building a community can be your strongest growth lever

Let’s dive in.

💰 Early-Stage Funding Highlights (Feb 11 - Feb 14, 2025)

🚀 Eudia ($105M Series A, Feb 2025) – AI-driven real-time risk analytics for global finance.
✅ Why they got funded: Fintech security & compliance remains a priority for investors.
✅ Investors: General Catalyst [+13]

🔬 Dorsia ($50.4M Series A, Feb 2025) – A new-age members-only restaurant booking platform.
✅ Why they got funded: Consumer exclusivity models are gaining traction.
✅ Investors: Index Ventures [+5]

💻 Tofu ($12M Series A, Feb 2025) – AI-powered customer success automation for SaaS companies.
✅ Why they got funded: Investors are bullish on retention-based growth and tools that reduce churn.
✅ What they do: Tofu helps SaaS companies automate customer onboarding, engagement, and churn reduction using AI-driven insights and workflow automation.
✅ Investors: SignalFire [+10]

🏥 Junevity ($10M Seed, Feb 2025) – AI-powered longevity & preventive health platform.
✅ Why they got funded: The longevity tech & preventive healthcare market is booming, and AI-driven solutions are attracting serious investor interest.
✅ What they do: Junevity builds AI-based health diagnostics & longevity optimization—helping users proactively manage their well-being before chronic issues arise.

🔗 Renew Risk ($6.12M Series A, Feb 2025) – Climate risk intelligence platform for businesses.
✅ Why they got funded: Climate tech remains hot, especially in risk assessment & mitigation.
✅ Investors: Molten Ventures [+2]

🔥 Is SaaS Dead? Or Just Getting Interesting?

If you’ve been following VC Twitter, you’ve probably seen it:
🚨 "SaaS is dead."
🚨 "Investors don’t want SaaS anymore."
🚨 "AI will replace traditional SaaS models."

Here’s the truth: SaaS isn’t dead—it’s evolving fast.

What’s Changing in SaaS?

🔹 AI is eating SaaS – Investors don’t just want another CRM—they want software that thinks for you.
🔹 Usage-based pricing is taking over – Flat-rate subscriptions are fading in favor of pay-for-value models.
🔹 Vertical SaaS is hot – Niche SaaS (healthcare, finance, cybersecurity) is where the money’s flowing.
🔹 SaaS + Fintech = 💰 – If your SaaS has embedded payments, lending, or financial services, you have a much easier fundraising path.

How Founders Should Adapt

✅ AI isn’t optional – Your SaaS needs automation, insights, and decision-making built-in.
✅ Rethink pricing – Flat subscriptions are dying. Think usage-based, success-based, or embedded payments.
✅ Go deeper, not wider – Generic tools are struggling. Winning SaaS is hyper-focused on solving industry-specific pain points.

What do you think? Is SaaS really “dying”? Hit reply and let’s debate.

📉 How Often Should You Tweak Your Pitch Deck?

Your pitch deck is not a static document—it’s a living, breathing asset.

✅ If you're actively fundraising, update it weekly—or even after every 3-5 meetings.
✅ If investors keep asking the same questions, your deck isn’t answering them clearly enough.
✅ If you're not getting traction, you may be leading with the wrong narrative.

What to Adjust?

📌 Confusing slides – If investors keep stumbling on a section, simplify the message.
📌 Market proof – If a key competitor gets acquired or a new market stat emerges, update your deck to reflect it.
📌 Traction slides – Got a big customer? New MRR milestone? Add it.

💡 Pro Tip: Keep a "question tracker"—every time an investor asks something, log it. If the same question keeps coming up, fix your deck so they don’t have to ask.

🚀 The Power of a Founder’s Personal Brand

VCs aren’t just backing companies. They’re backing people.

A strong personal brand can:
✅ Attract investors before you even start fundraising.
✅ Give your startup credibility with customers.
✅ Make hiring easier—top talent wants to work with known founders.

How to Build It (Without Being Cringey)

📌 Be active on LinkedIn & Twitter – Share insights, challenges, and progress.
📌 Write, speak, and engage – Blog posts, podcasts, panels—get your voice out there.
📌 Be transparent – Founders who share real stories (not just the highlight reel) build trust.

Examples of founders crushing the personal brand game:
💡 [Insert example founder here] – Raising $10M with a single LinkedIn post.
💡 [Insert example founder here] – Using Twitter to drive early customers.

💬 How Building a Community Can Be Your Biggest Growth Lever

Your best customers aren’t just buyers—they’re advocates.

The 3 Elements of a Strong Startup Community

🔹 A space for customers to engage (Slack, Discord, LinkedIn groups)
🔹 Founder & team participation (Your community is only valuable if you’re in it!)
🔹 Exclusivity & value (Early feature drops, beta programs, AMAs)

Great examples of startups winning the community game:
🔥 Notion – Built a cult-like following by turning users into advocates.
🔥 Loom – Used community feedback to refine product-market fit early.

💡 Pro Tip: The best communities grow organically when they provide real value. If you build it right, your customers will market your product for you.

Final Thoughts

✅ Your pitch deck is never done—keep improving it.
✅ Your personal brand is an unfair advantage—use it.
✅ Community isn’t just a marketing channel—it’s a moat.

Until next time,
Apryl Syed
Founder’s Edge