Founders’ guides to equity, valuations, and company growth.
In this exclusive interview for Eqvista, Manuel Romero, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of MAISA, shares his insights on building trustworthy AI for enterprise automation. A leading Hugging Face contributor with over 700 open-source models garnering 15 million monthly downloads, Romero draws from his extensive AI expertise to discuss MAISA’s innovative KPU framework. Founded in …
M&A activity in the United States is regaining momentum. Through the first three quarters of 2025, total global deal value grew 10% compared to 2024, with the Americas experiencing 26% growth. 62% of all acquisition targets were from North America, with US companies acquiring most of them. Such activity suggests an inclination towards cross-border revenue …
In July 2025, Chevron completed its $53 billion acquisition of Hess, marking the end of a nearly two-year journey that began with the initial announcement on October 23, 2023. The timeline for this acquisition got extended because of an arbitration case brought by rivals Exxon Mobil and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation. This goes …
In a world where smartphones, smartwatches, and AR headsets dominate our daily routines, one startup is asking a provocative question: What if all of that technology could disappear into something as simple and natural as a contact lens? XPANCEO, a Dubai-based deep-tech company, recently achieved unicorn status with a $250 million Series A funding round, …
Purchase price allocation (PPA) is the method for allocating the acquisition cost to assets acquired and liabilities assumed, with any residual amount recognized as goodwill or a bargain purchase gain. While the underlying objective of PPA is broadly consistent across accounting frameworks, the application can differ meaningfully between US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and …
AI companies are now trading at multiples that are several times higher than traditional SaaS companies, despite operating in a funding environment defined by liquidity constraints and heightened investor caution. In public markets, the median AI market cap-to-revenue multiple exceeds 10x, while that of SaaS companies is below 5x. This widening valuation gap raises two …
In an industry often caught between impersonal online booking platforms and exclusive but slow-moving concierge services, Holiwise is carving out a distinctive path. The AI-powered travel platform promises to deliver the white-glove service of luxury travel planning with the speed and efficiency of modern technology—a combination that co-founder and CEO Albin Eriksson Lippe believes has …
Public companies pursuing inorganic growth face two major compliance burdens. They must balance ongoing financial reporting obligations under GAAP with the requirement to provide adequate transparency to stakeholders when acquiring private sector companies. As M&A competition intensifies, the need to meet these already onerous requirements with speed and defensibility has grown sharply. Global M&A deal …
As private companies scale from early-stage startups to venture-backed enterprises, their compliance obligations evolve dramatically. What begins as informal updates to angel investors can quickly transform into rigorous reporting requirements that rival those of public companies. Understanding these requirements early helps founders avoid costly mistakes, maintain investor confidence, and position their companies for successful funding …
For two analyses that support completely different purposes, fairness opinions and valuation reports have a lot of common elements. They use the same inputs, such as financial histories, projections, capital structures, and market trends. Even methodologies such as comparable company analysis and the discounted cash flow (DCF) method are common between the two. So, what’s …
From backing category-defining consumer brands to navigating the complexities of today’s AI-driven investment landscape, Lerer Hippeau has established itself as one of New York’s most influential early-stage venture capital firms. What sets them apart isn’t just their track record; it’s their philosophy of being a founder’s “first and most aligned institutional partner.” In this interview, …
Like employees, consultants may also be eligible for equity compensation, which is a kind of non-cash payment. Businesses often provide equity payout when they cannot compensate with enough cash or provide salaries below market. Equity payout can be done with different types of equity compensation, which include performance shares, stock options, and restricted stock. Based …
Rule 701 allows companies to issue stock-based compensation without triggering the need to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) under the Securities Act of 1933. This is a very important exemption since the US regulatory framework places immense reporting responsibilities on registered companies. As an ESOP administrator, to qualify for Rule 701 benefits, …
Traditional 409A valuation reports have been the cornerstone of equity compensation compliance in the USA. These reports have shielded businesses from hefty IRS penalties for many years. But here’s the problem. Traditional 409A valuations can no longer keep up with the pace of modern businesses. The traditional 409A PDF report is a valuation snapshot you …
In an exclusive Eqvista interview, Frederik Sally, Co-Founder and COO of Interhuman AI, reveals how his Copenhagen-based startup is pioneering a social intelligence layer for AI to decode non-verbal cues like tone, body language, and pauses, elements comprising up to 93% of human communication. Frederick credits co-founder Paula Petcu’s decade in brain health tech for …
New Enterprise Associates (NEA) has maintained its position as a leading investor across multiple sectors, making it one of the world’s famous venture capital firms. Founded in 1977, NEA has built an impressive track record with over 280 portfolio companies reaching IPO and 99 achieving unicorn status. The firm’s portfolio includes leaders like Cloudflare, Coursera, …
The Eqvista SaaS Index 2026 tracks valuation trends, investor sentiments, and growth velocity across the global and regional software-as-a-service (SaaS) landscape. In the current VC landscape, where investors exhibit caution that’s not AI, understanding how valuations respond to market cycles is critical for founders planning funding rounds. Our analysis expands on public SaaS insights by …
In this latest edition of founder spotlight, Eqvista features Randy Allen, Co-Founder and CEO of Still Bright, a hard-tech startup transforming how the world produces one of its most critical resources: copper. Drawing on a deep background in chemical engineering, materials science, and venture investing, Randy is leading Still Bright’s mission to close the looming …
The funding market has been on fire owing to the AI revolution. This makes it important to understand what is transpiring in the US VC market. This article aims to achieve the same goal using the November 2025 VC deals as its source. Number of AI companies by funding type, funding raised and Multiples Figure …
As we approach 2026, founders must prepare for critical tax filing deadlines, missing which could trigger penalties. To ensure that businesses with complex structures and sole proprietors have ample time to file tax forms, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has different tax filing deadlines for businesses with different corporate structures. So, C-corporations and sole proprietors …
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