News Disrupt 2025 hits Moscone West in San Francisco this October 27–29, and if you’re building with big funding goals in mind, the session on preparing for your later-stage raise needs to be on your radar. Join three powerhouse voices in venture and AI-driven innovation as they share what it really takes to close major rounds — long before you’re in the room with investors.
This panel, taking place October 29 on the Builders Stage, is a roadmap for any founder who knows that Series C doesn’t start at Series C.
Why this session matters
Raising late-stage capital is about more than hitting big revenue numbers. It’s about telling the right story, tracking the right metrics, and building relationships that compound over time. This session goes beyond pitch decks to uncover the strategies founders should be thinking about now to land meaningful funding later. Expect sharp insights, candid reflections, and real frameworks you can take back to your startup.
Meet the experts guiding the next wave of growth
Zeya Yang, partner at IVP, brings a rare dual lens to the table as both an investor and former product leader. With past experience at a16z, Plaid, and Dropbox, Zeya’s focus is on AI-native startups that are reshaping the way we work. He’s backed companies like Graphite, Macro, and Tennr, and brings sharp product instincts and founder-first thinking to every cap table he joins.
Lila Preston, head of growth equity at Generation Investment Management, has been scaling impact-focused companies since 2004. She sits on the boards of nature-forward brands like Nature’s Fynd and Pivot Bio, and she draws on a global perspective shaped by work across Latin America, the UK, and the U.S. Lila’s blend of financial acumen and mission-driven investing makes her uniquely equipped to guide founders eyeing long-term growth.
Andrea Thomaz, CEO and co-founder of Diligent Robotics, brings the founder lens. A social robotics pioneer, she’s led groundbreaking work in AI and automation, built robots featured everywhere from The New York Times to Popular Science, and scaled a hardware startup tackling real-world problems. Her company is reshaping the healthcare workforce with collaborative robotics—and she knows firsthand how to build investor trust around moonshot tech.
Unlock expert advice and big savings
Join 10,000+ startup and VC leaders for this must-attend conversation — and be part of one of the most anticipated tech conferences of the year. It’s all happening at News Disrupt 2025, where today’s decisions meet tomorrow’s scale. Register now and save up to $675 before prices increase.
