Series A / B / C
Noun · Startup & VC
Definitions
Sequential rounds of venture capital funding, each typically larger than the last. Series A usually follows a seed round and establishes product-market fit; B scales the business; C and beyond fuel expansion or prepare for IPO. The letters are sequential preferred stock classes.
In plain English: The stages of investment a startup goes through — each round (A, B, C...) brings more money as the company grows, with increasing expectations for growth.
Etymology
- 1978
- The U.S. creates the first formal venture capital fund structures, establishing the Series A Preferred Stock convention
- 2000s
- The alphabet soup of funding rounds (A, B, C, D...) becomes standardized startup vocabulary
- 2021
- Mega-rounds peak — Series A rounds exceed $100M, blurring traditional stage definitions