Global fundraising, capital raising trends and technology developments. He also writes The Raise or Die Letter and hosts Deal Makers (& Fakers).
Everything spectup publishes
Six formats, on one page.
Deal Makers (& Fakers)
18The people who just closed a round or a deal, on how it got done. For anyone raising, allocating or buying.
Every episode
Write-ups
66Filed under 10 subjects, newest first.
Family Office Investing: Private Equity and Co-Investing
Selling a Business: What Buyers Pay and the Cash You Receive at Closing
What Is Private Capital Advisory? Roles, Sides and Fees
Capital Introduction: How It Works and Who Offers It
Fund of Funds Venture Capital: How a GP Gets Into a VC Fund of Funds
Venture Capital Fund Administrator: What to Check in 2026
M&A Due Diligence: Workstreams, Timing and Red Flags
Quality of Earnings: What Buyers Test Before They Pay
Divestiture: How a Company Sells a Business Unit
Earnout in M&A: What the Deferred Price Is Worth
Management Buyout: Funding, Tax and Owner Protection
Deal Sourcing: How PE Buyers Reach Owners Before a Sale
Buy-and-Build Strategy: How PE Platforms Price Add-Ons
Confidential Information Memorandum (CIM): What Goes in It
Continuation Fund: LP Elections, Pricing and the Next Fund
Lehman Formula: How M&A Advisory Fees Are Calculated
The Sell-Side M&A Process: 9 Steps From Engagement to Signing
Pre-IPO Funding Rounds: Structure, Investors, Lockups
Series B Funding in 2026: Valuations, Investors and Terms
Private Equity Secondaries: LP-Led, GP-Led and NAV Pricing
Angel Investing Trends 2026: What Changes in Your Next Round
How Much Does a Pitch Deck Cost in 2026? What Sets the Price
Term Sheet vs LOI: What a Seller Signs and What It Starts
What Is a Pitch Deck? Meaning, Slides and Who Reads It
Airbnb Pitch Deck Analysis: All 14 Original Slides
Investor Outreach: A Step-by-Step Guide
Venture Capital vs Investment Banking: Who Works for Whom
Private Placement Memorandum: Contents, Rule 506 and Filings
Corporate Venture Capital: How It Works and 2026 Trends
How to Raise Venture Capital: A Step-by-Step Playbook
What Is a Private Equity Placement Agent? Role and Fees
How to Present a Pitch Deck and Protect Your Idea
Pitch Deck vs Business Plan: Which to Write First
Limited Partnership Agreement: Waterfall, Key Person, MFN
Venture Capital Fund Structure: What LPs Check First
What Is a Bridge Round, and When Does It Pay Off?
What Is a Data Room? Contents, Timing and How Investors Read It
AI Fundraising Tools for Startups: Where AI Stops in a Raise
Venture Debt Financing: How It Works and What It Costs
What Do Venture Capitalists Look For? Criteria and Process
TAM SAM SOM: Worked Examples and What Investors Test
What Is a Term Sheet? Binding Clauses and Red Flags
Pitch Deck Financials: What to Show and How to Tie It Out
Silent Partner vs Investor: What Owners Give Up and Keep
Investment Memo: What PE and Corporate Committees Read
Post Money Valuation vs Pre Money: Formula and Dilution
Investor Due Diligence: What Investors Check, How to Prepare
Startup Funding Stages: Pre-Seed to Pre-IPO, Explained
Business Exit Strategy: Trade Sale, PE, MBO or IPO
How to Send Pitch Deck to Investors Strategically
Pitch Deck Outline: The 12 Slides and What Each Must Prove
How Long a Pitch Deck Should Be: Perfect Length
Non-Dilutive Funding Guide for Startups
Series A Traction Metrics: Benchmarks & Investor Requirements
Convertible Notes for Capital Seed Raise
Angel Investors Vs. Venture Capitalists: Which Path Fits
Pitch Deck Traction Slide: Metrics That Move Investors
Pre Seed Funding: Raise $100K–$500K Without Over-Diluting
Pre-Seed vs Seed Funding: Key Differences & Guide
How to Get Warm Introductions to Investors
Seed Funding: The Metrics That Separate Closes from Declines
Startup Valuation: How Founders Actually Get Funded in 2026
How Pitch Deck Changes by Stage: What Investors Expect
Financial Projections for Startups: Build One That Survives
Competitive Slide Pitch Deck: What Investors Actually Want
Key Metrics Investors Look for in Startups - Our GuideNothing matches that.
Comparisons
9The firms a company or a fund shortlists, ranked. spectup is in all 9 and the case against it is in each one.
Calculators
4The arithmetic a term sheet turns on, run in the browser.
Research
2Original data from spectup's own work, newest first.


Free PDF, with the LPs' own wordsLP study, 18 pagesHow LPs Pick Emerging Managers: LP Sentiment 2026What limited partners say about new manager relationships, deck volume, first meetings and the time to a commitment. Based on anonymous LP answers.
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A live transactionYou are running a raise or a sale nowspectup 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 transactionThe Raise or Die Letter
9What we see in the market before it prices in.
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