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Everything spectup publishes

Six formats, on one page.

65Write-ups9Comparisons4Calculators17Episodes9Letters1Research
/ 01

Who publishes it

Two accounts, two halves of a transaction. The subjects under each name are the ones each of them posts on most.

spectup on LinkedIn
Niclas SchlopsnaNiclas SchlopsnaManaging Partner On LinkedIn

Global fundraising, capital raising trends and technology developments. He also writes The Raise or Die Letter and hosts Deal Makers (& Fakers).

Capital by geography · Capital raising · AI and deep tech · Venture and exits · LPs and family offices

Growth-Stage Capital (Series A+)Series B Funding in 2026: Valuations, Investors and Terms32 in the list
Edwin MikEdwin MikPartner & Head of IR On LinkedIn

How limited partners and family offices decide, and what makes a fund manager easy to back. He also posts on capital concentration data and off-market deal origination.

Limited partners · Fund positioning · Capital concentration · Outbound systems · Deal origination

M&AM&A Due Diligence: Workstreams, Timing and Red Flags33 in the list
/ 02

Deal Makers (& Fakers)

17

The people who just closed a round or a deal, on how it got done. For anyone raising, allocating or buying.

Deal Makers (& Fakers), presented by spectup
55 minMartin JanickiGeneral Partner, Tenet

He Planned His Entire VC Career 15 Years Ahead

75% of global AI venture capital went to US companies. Europe's EU27 captured just 6%.

Watch ListenAI venture capitalEurope against the USA planned VC career

Every episode

The show on Spotify The channel on YouTube
You have closed something worth an hour of tapeApply to come on the show
/ 03

Write-ups

65

Filed under 10 subjects, newest first.

M&A Due Diligence: Workstreams, Timing and Red FlagsManagement Buyout: Funding, Tax and Owner ProtectionSeries B Funding in 2026: Valuations, Investors and TermsLimited Partnership Agreement: Waterfall, Key Person, MFNVenture Capital Fund Structure: What LPs Check FirstWhat Is a Bridge Round, and When Does It Pay Off?What Is a Data Room? Contents, Timing and How Investors Read ItAngel Investing Trends 2026: What Changes in Your Next RoundAI Fundraising Tools for Startups: Where AI Stops in a RaiseTerm Sheet vs LOI: What a Seller Signs and What It StartsWhat Is a Pitch Deck? Meaning, Slides and Who Reads ItAirbnb Pitch Deck Analysis: All 14 Original SlidesVenture Capital vs Investment Banking: Who Works for WhomVenture Debt Financing: How It Works and What It CostsCorporate Venture Capital: How It Works and 2026 TrendsWhat Do Venture Capitalists Look For? Criteria and ProcessTAM SAM SOM: Worked Examples and What Investors TestHow to Present a Pitch Deck and Protect Your IdeaPitch Deck vs Business Plan: Which to Write FirstWhat Is a Term Sheet? Binding Clauses and Red FlagsPitch Deck Financials: What to Show and How to Tie It OutSilent Partner vs Investor: What Owners Give Up and KeepInvestment Memo: What PE and Corporate Committees ReadQuality of Earnings: What Buyers Test Before They PayDivestiture: How a Company Sells a Business UnitBuy-and-Build Strategy: How PE Platforms Price Add-OnsConfidential Information Memorandum (CIM): What Goes in ItLehman Formula: How M&A Advisory Fees Are CalculatedThe Sell-Side M&A Process: 9 Steps From Mandate to SigningInvestor Outreach: A Step-by-Step GuideContinuation Fund: LP Elections, Pricing and the Next FundFund of Funds: How FoFs Pick Managers and Charge LPsPrivate Equity Secondaries: LP-Led, GP-Led and NAV PricingPrivate Placement Memorandum: Contents, Rule 506 and FilingsWhat Is a Private Equity Placement Agent?Post Money Valuation vs Pre Money: Formula and DilutionCapital Introduction: How It Works and Who Offers ItPre-IPO Funding Rounds: Structure, Investors, LockupsInvestor Due Diligence: What Investors Check, How to PrepareHow to Raise Venture Capital: A Step-by-Step PlaybookStartup Funding Stages: Pre-Seed to Pre-IPO, ExplainedBusiness Exit Strategy: Trade Sale, PE, MBO or IPOEarnout in M&A: What the Deferred Price Is WorthDeal Sourcing: How PE Buyers Reach Owners Before a SaleFamily Office Investing: How to Access Patient CapitalHow Much Does a Pitch Deck Cost in 2026? What Sets the PriceHow to Send Pitch Deck to Investors StrategicallyPitch Deck Outline: The 12 Slides and What Each Must ProveHow Long a Pitch Deck Should Be: Perfect LengthNon-Dilutive Funding Guide for StartupsChoosing a VC Fund Administrator: The 2026 FrameworkSeries A Traction Metrics: Benchmarks & Investor RequirementsConvertible Notes for Capital Seed RaiseHow VCs Make Investment Decisions?Angel Investors Vs. Venture Capitalists: Which Path FitsPitch Deck Traction Slide: Metrics That Move InvestorsPre Seed Funding: Raise $100K–$500K Without Over-DilutingPre-Seed vs Seed Funding: Key Differences & GuideHow to Get Warm Introductions to InvestorsSeed Funding: The Metrics That Separate Closes from DeclinesStartup Valuation: How Founders Actually Get Funded in 2026How Pitch Deck Changes by Stage: What Investors ExpectFinancial Projections for Startups: Build One That SurvivesCompetitive Slide Pitch Deck: What Investors Actually WantKey Metrics Investors Look for in Startups - Our Guide
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Comparisons

9

The firms a company or a fund shortlists, ranked. spectup is in all 9 and the case against it is in each one.

/ 0113firmsBest M&A Advisory Firms in 2026: 13 Compared and Ranked/ 0217firmsPitchBook Alternatives: 17 Investor Databases Compared/ 0312firmsBest Virtual Data Room Providers in 2026: 12 Compared/ 0412firmsBest Private Placement Agency in 2026: 12 Firms Compared/ 0510firmsBest Startup Consulting Firms in 2026: 10 Compared/ 0614firmsBest Pitch Deck Design Agencies in 2026: 14 Compared/ 0711firmsBest Capital Raising Firms in 2026: 11 Compared and Ranked/ 0812firmsBest Pitch Deck Consultants in 2026: 12 Firms Compared/ 0910firmsBest Fundraising Consultants for Startups in 2026
/ 05

Calculators

4

The arithmetic a term sheet turns on, run in the browser.

City skyline at duskContributeYou have something worth publishing

A conversation for the show, a number the letter should carry, a firm a comparison has missed. Tell us which and it reaches the desk that writes these.

Apply here City skyline at duskA live transactionYou are running a raise or a sale now

spectup works one side of a transaction and brings the other to the table. Capital raising for companies and funds, buy-side and sell-side M&A.

Discuss a transaction
/ 06

The Raise or Die Letter

9

What we see in the market before it prices in.

Every issue
The Raise or Die Letter

It goes to 2,000 B2B financial decision makers. Put your address in and it goes to you.

Free, and every issue is public.

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Capital Ecosystem had its moment in SeptemberLatestCapital Ecosystem had its moment in SeptemberThe Capital-Raising Mistakes Everyone Made While on HolidayThe Capital-Raising Mistakes Everyone Made While on HolidayEurope does not have a founder problem. It has an investor problem.Europe does not have a founder problem. It has an investor problem.$185B, a Chinese open model, and 4 things from my calls$185B, a Chinese open model, and 4 things from my callsAway From the Desk, and Back to It tooAway From the Desk, and Back to It tooI moved apartments while watching the market.I moved apartments while watching the market.The Future Is Here. The Capital Knows It. You're Not Ready.The Future Is Here. The Capital Knows It. You're Not Ready.Why Your Fundraising Desperation Is Killing Your RoundsWhy Your Fundraising Desperation Is Killing Your RoundsFundraising isn’t broken. But most advice is.Fundraising isn’t broken. But most advice is.