Venture Capitalists Share Series A Advice And 2027 Warning

Three venture capitalists shared advice for founders seeking a Series A during TechCrunch Disrupt, warning of a potential market correction by 2027.

NationPulse Desk

Oct 22, 2026 · 8:15 PM 2 min read

Key takeaways

Shailendra Singh, Jahanvi Sardana, and Jenelle Teng Wade spoke at TechCrunch Disrupt about raising a Series A.

Shailendra Singh warned that a market correction could happen as soon as 2027 due to inflated revenue numbers.

Jenelle Teng Wade noted that capital is flowing into defense, robotics, and artificial intelligence infrastructure.

Anthropic is reportedly preparing an IPO at a valuation of around $2 trillion.

Three venture capitalists discussed Series A fundraising strategies and issued a warning about a potential market correction by 2027 during a panel at this year's TechCrunch Disrupt. The discussion featured Peak XV managing director Shailendra Singh, Index Ventures partner Jahanvi Sardana, and Bessemer partner Jenelle Teng Wade.

Singh described the current fundraising climate as exceptionally dysfunctional and hard to navigate. He noted that top firms expect companies to prove they can break out, adding that founders face high dispersion regarding terms and capital amounts. Singh mentioned that seeing a company attempt to close a round with three separate prices at once indicates market froth. Sardana referred to this splitting of rounds into separate chunks as tranchopalooza.

The panelists explained what they evaluate in a Series A pitch, starting with a compelling narrative about the founder's potential to build a major business. Singh stated that leaders who attract top-tier talent hold an advantage. Teng Wade pointed out that money flows into sectors like defense, robotics, and AI infrastructure, while foundational model companies pursue vertical integration. She added that newer market entrants still find opportunities through neo-labs focused on AI research and neo-clouds renting out computing power.

While metrics remain useful, they lack strict definitions, particularly in expensive sectors like artificial intelligence. Teng Wade recalled how her firm backed Anthropic early on despite negative margins and heavy compute spending, betting on the immense scale of the frontier model market. Reports indicate Anthropic is preparing an IPO valued around $2 trillion and claiming adjusted profitability. Singh warned founders against using cumulative revenue or cumulative ARR charts, calling them a massive red flag and a big lie that distorts time series data.

Describing the current environment as filled with false positives, Singh predicted a market correction by 2027. Offering final advice, Singh told founders that building a company is excruciatingly difficult and urged them to avoid rushing, watch for weak product market fit, and maintain high standards. Sardana cautioned against building products merely based on funding trends. Teng Wade advised founders to be audacious in their funding requests and adjust based on market reaction.

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