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investing

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Carta says the venture comeback is real, but the invitations are more scarce

Mar 23, 2026

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3 min read

Carta says the venture comeback is real, but the invitations are more scarce

Carta’s Q4 2025 data is the most honest picture we have of where startup funding actually went last year. And it makes a surprisingly strong case for rethinking the priced round entirely.

Dax Hamman
Dax Hamman

Hard Part First

Hard Part First

Hard Part First is a publication for founders who know that tech is a commodity today and distribution is the moat. I’m Dax Hamman. I’ve been a founder three times: at Chango (sold to Rubicon Project for $122M), and now at FOMO.ai, where I’m building AI + human marketing teams for brands like Noom, Minted, and PetMeds.

© 2026 Hard Part First.
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