Funding

Most companies at this stage rely on Seed funding—which can come from angel investors, a small seed fund, friends and family, or even an accelerator program. You might close an initial $1M–$2M round to build your MVP, hire a few key people, and land those early customers. The valuation is usually based on your idea, your team, and early proof of concept. Keep an eye on runway: typically, you want 12–18 months of funding to prove product-market fit and start showing repeatable revenue traction.