StartEngine Review 2026: What the 1.2% Exit Rate Means for Investors
TL;DR Only 77 of 6,375 funded companies (a 1.2% exit rate) have produced any liquidity event for investors since launch. Round-trip fees on StartEngine's secondary market total 8.5%, trades take 30-pl
Wefunder Review 2026: What the 41% IRR Actually Means for Accredited Investors
TL;DR Only 18 of 3,500+ Wefunder-funded companies have produced exits — a 0.5% exit rate. Most of your capital will sit indefinitely in companies that are neither dead nor successful. The headline 41%
QSBS Section 1202: The $15 Million Tax-Free Benefit Angel Investors Keep Ignoring
Internal Revenue Code Section 1202 is the most underused tax benefit in angel investing. It allows you to exclude up to $15 million in capital gains from federal income tax when you sell qualifying...
Prosper AI Raises $30M From a16z: Why Healthcare Admin AI Is the Boring Bet That Wins
Prosper AI announced a $30 million Series A in June 2026, led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Base10, Emergence Capital, Y Combinator, and Company Ventures. The company automates the...
Right of First Refusal (ROFR): What Angel Investors and LPs Need to Know
TL;DR: The Right of First Refusal shows up in nearly every venture capital deal you will sign as an accredited investor. Most angels read past it. That is a mistake. ROFR controls whether you can
Ramp Raises $750M at $44B: What the Fintech Mega-Round Signals for Private Investors
TL;DR: On June 4, 2026, Ramp announced a $750 million Series F at a $44 billion post-money valuation . Lead investors include ICONIQ, GIC (Singapore's sovereign wealth fund), and Ontario Teachers'
Helion Energy Raises $465M at $15.5B: What Accredited Investors Need to Know About Fusion
TL;DR: On June 4, 2026, Helion Energy announced a $465 million Series G round at a $15.5 billion post-money valuation, led by Thrive Capital. The round brings Helion's total capital raised to more
Liquidation Preference: The Term Sheet Clause That Decides Who Gets Paid
According to Cooley LLP's Q2 2025 Venture Financing Report , covering 238 venture financings, 98 percent of deals carried a 1x liquidation preference and 95 percent used non-participating preferred st
Pro-Rata Rights: How to Protect Your Stake When the Next Round Closes
TL;DR: Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures called pro-rata rights "the single most important term anyone can negotiate for in a venture capital investment." He is right. Venture returns follow a...
Town Raises $55M From a16z: What This AI Deal Signals for Accredited Investors
On June 3, 2026, Town announced a $55 million Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz, with co-investment from Forerunner Ventures, First Round Capital, Alt Capital, and Conviction. The deal was reported
Common Stock vs. Preferred Stock: Why Liquidation Preference Is Your Only Real Protection
In 2005, Trados received a $60 million acquisition offer. Per Delaware Court of Chancery ruling In re Trados Inc. Shareholder Litigation , preferred stockholders received $52.2 million. Common
SAFE vs. Convertible Note: The Investor's Playbook
Founders love SAFEs. You should think twice. Y Combinator's Simple Agreement for Future Equity dominates early-stage rounds because it's fast, cheap, and founder-friendly. But SAFEs strip away
AngelList Explained: How the Platform Works for Investors, Founders, and Fund Managers (2026)
TL;DR: AngelList manages $170B+ in assets on platform and has helped fund more than 101 unicorn companies since 2010. It is now the dominant back-office infrastructure for early-stage venture capit...
Regulation Crowdfunding in 2026: What the $5M Cap Really Means for Retail Investors
TL;DR 60% of all attempted Reg CF offerings raised zero dollars in proceeds. Total confirmed proceeds from 2016–2024: ~$1.3 billion across 8,492 offerings. The $5M annual cap is binding for almost...
Why Most Angel Investors Lose Money — and the Portfolio Pattern That Changes It
TL;DR: 70% of individual angel investments return less than the original capital. Most angels who fail are not bad pickers. They made 3-5 bets in an asset class that requires 22-24 investments...
Delaware C Corporation: Why Startups Choose It and What Angel Investors Require
TL;DR 66.7% of Fortune 500 companies are Delaware C-Corps. 81.4% of U.S.-based IPOs in 2024 chose Delaware. VCs cannot invest in LLCs for three hard structural reasons: UBTI rules, K-1 multi-state...