Three powerhouse VCs will lay bare the real mechanics of Series A funding at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Katie Stanton (Moxxie Ventures), Thomas Krane (Insight Partners), and Sangeen Zeb (GV) - collectively responsible for backing unicorns like Airtable, SentinelOne, and Vercel - promise unfiltered insights into what separates funded startups from the rejected pile.
The Series A landscape just got a reality check. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 this October, three of the industry's most discerning checkbook holders will break down exactly what it takes to land that crucial growth round in 2026's increasingly brutal funding environment.
Katie Stanton isn't just another VC throwing around buzzwords. The Moxxie Ventures founder cut her teeth in the Obama White House and scaled social media at Twitter before backing over 100 early-stage companies. Her portfolio reads like a who's who of startup success: Airtable, Calm, and Carta among them. "We built Moxxie on conviction and founder-first instincts," Stanton has said, and that philosophy has paid off in spades.
Thomas Krane brings the enterprise software perspective from Insight Partners, where he's managing director overseeing some of the biggest software and cybersecurity bets of the past decade. JFrog and SentinelOne didn't become category leaders by accident - Krane spotted their scalable traction early and helped guide their growth trajectories.
Meanwhile, Sangeen Zeb represents the gold standard of strategic investing at GV, Google's venture arm. His focus on enterprise and AI startups has led to board positions with red-hot companies like Vercel and Harvey, two of the most talked-about growth stories in their respective spaces.
[embedded_image: Panel speakers Katie Stanton, Thomas Krane, and Sangeen Zeb at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025]
What makes this Builder Stage session different from your typical VC panel? These three have collectively seen thousands of pitch decks and know exactly what separates the "maybe" pile from the "we're writing a check" stack. They're promising to share the specific metrics that matter, how to craft a compelling growth narrative, and most importantly, what causes investors to walk away.
The timing couldn't be more critical. Series A funding hit a seven-year low in 2024, with deal counts dropping 38% year-over-year according to PitchBook data. Valuations have compressed, due diligence timelines have stretched, and VCs are demanding much clearer paths to profitability before they'll commit.
"The Series A landscape is tighter, stakes are higher," the TechCrunch Disrupt agenda notes. This isn't hyperbole - it's the new reality that founders are navigating as they try to bridge the gap between seed funding and sustainable growth.
For startup founders grinding through the fundraising process, this session offers something invaluable: direct access to decision-makers who understand what currently works. No theoretical frameworks or academic case studies - just practical intelligence from people who've been saying yes and no to deals all year.
The panel format allows for the kind of unscripted moments that reveal real insights. When VCs speak candidly about deal flow, they often share the small details that can make or break a pitch: the demo that convinced them, the metric that raised red flags, or the founder quality that sealed the deal.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 runs October 27-29 at San Francisco's Moscone West, bringing together over 10,000 startup founders, investors, and tech leaders. Early bird pricing saves attendees up to $650, but that rate jumps on September 27.
This isn't just another conference session - it's a masterclass in navigating today's funding reality from three people who are actively writing the checks that keep the startup ecosystem moving forward.
As Series A funding becomes increasingly competitive, direct access to the investment decision-makers becomes invaluable. This TechCrunch Disrupt panel offers founders a rare opportunity to hear unfiltered perspectives from VCs who are actively deploying capital in today's market. With their combined track record of identifying and nurturing breakout companies, Stanton, Krane, and Zeb's insights could be the difference between another rejection and a term sheet that changes everything.
