August 15, 2025

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Visible News

August 15, 2025

Happy Friday, Visionaries! The latest reading from our team's internal media club revolved around data from Carta confirming what many of us in early-stage investing have been sensing:

According to Carta’s Q1 2025 State of Pre-Seed report:📉 46% of Q1 seed rounds were bridges—the highest ever⏳ Series A to B timing hit a record 2.8 years💰 Pre-seed founders are facing an even steeper climb to their first checks/tractionAt Visible Hands, this isn’t a surprise—but it’s exactly why we built our support model the way we did.We help founders thrive in volatile markets by:✅ Guiding them to bootstrap smarter—getting to MVPs, pilots, and revenue early✅ Championing capital-efficient, traction-first strategies to navigate slow seed cycles✅ Supporting overlooked founders before the market is ready—because they deserve a seat at the table, not years in the waiting room.The game is different in 2025—but with the right early-stage support, it’s still very winnable.As the market shifts, let’s keep building boldly, collaborating intentionally, and making space for the founders whose ideas will shape the future. Respond to this email with any resources you think we should include in our upcoming letters with the rest of the founder community, as well as any shoutouts you want to give to founders you know who are building, innovating, and deserving of being seen.Be well,The Visible Hands TeamP.S. Right now is your chance to get that support, especially if you're an overlooked founder building a tech startup in Boston!📢 VHBOS applications close in one week! If you’re an early-stage founder ready to scale smarter and stronger, now’s the time.👉 Apply to VHBOS before the deadline

VHNYC Founders

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

Running a business while navigating systemic barriers? Equip Advisory is with you—and that financial anxiety you're feeling isn't your fault. 

Kerrie Carden, CFP and founder of Equip Advisory, works with QTBIPOC+ entrepreneurs who are tired of financial advice that ignores the reality of what they're up against and who they're building for. 

We're all doing our best, and you deserve a financial plan that works with your values. Whether it's business cash flow, intergenerational wealth building, or paying yourself sustainably, Kerrie Carden can help you design your money around how you want to live. 

Ready to turn your income into choices and time? Book a free 25-minute chat with Kerrie to talk about you, your goals and see where she can help. 

Schedule your free consult | Get to know Equip Advisory

The Path to Repeatable Sales Program is a three-month cohort course starting September 16 that gives early-stage B2B founders everything they need to accelerate their sales traction.  

This isn’t a program that shares tactics and disappears. Instead, founders will work together through implementation. You’ll learn proven tactics that yield results, and apply those tactics consistently, overcome any mental blockers, and iterate until the sales flywheel is spinning. 

Over 12 weeks, you’ll learn how to: 

Learn more and apply here!

Want to get in front of a highly engaged community of founders, investors, and ecosystem builders? Now’s your chance! We’re offering sponsorship opportunities in upcoming editions of this newsletter.

As a sponsor, your brand will be featured in front of thousands of mission-driven readers who are shaping the future of venture and innovation.

📩 Interested? Check out our sponsorship deck and reach out to Kerry at [email protected] to explore partnership opportunities!

Let’s build something great together. 🚀

WHAT WE HAVE OUR EYES ON

💸 Funding Opportunities

Her Agenda Breakthrough GrantFor: women founders$$$: $5KDeadline: August 17Amika Rooted in Growth Grant ProgramFor: haircare founders$$$: $50KDeadline: August 22Texas StartHer GrantFor: women founders$$$: $5KDeadline: August 26Hey Helen MicrograntFor: women founders$$$: $5KDeadline: August 29Carolinas Beyond Open Small Business GrantFor: small businesses$$$: $10K-$150KDeadline: August 30Founders No BS, No Strings Attached Women's GrantFor: women founders$$$: $5KDeadline: August 31Blueprint Breakthrough GrantFor: any founder$$$: $5KDeadline: September 1She's Connected by AT&TFor: small businesses$$$: $50KDeadline: September 30Operation SecretSOS Small Business GrantFor: small businesses$$$: $2.5KDeadline: September 30Power Forward Small Business GrantFor:  small businesses in New England$$$: $25KDeadline: rolling deadlineiFund Women Universal GrantFor: women foundersDeadline: rolling deadlineYippityDoo Big Idea GrantFor: women founders$$$: $1KDeadline: rolling deadlineHer Culture Micro GrantFor: African and Caribbean women $$$: $500Deadline: rolling deadlineWomensNet Amber Grant for WomenFor: women founders$$$: $25KDeadline: rolling deadlineWish Local Empowerment ProgramFor: Black-owned brick-and-mortar businesses$$$: $500-$2KDeadline: rolling deadlineBoston Celtics United, VistaPrint & NAACP Power Forward GrantFor: Black-owned businesses in New England$$$: $25KDeadline: rolling deadlineHustler's MicrograntFor: small business owners $$$: $1KDeadline: 

rolling deadline

Idea Cafe Small Business GrantFor: women founders$$$: $1KDeadline: 

rolling deadline

⚡️ Accelerators, Programs & Competitions

VHBOS 2025 FellowshipFor: Boston-based pre-seed overlooked founders$$$: $5KDeadline: August 22SkyDeck Berkely Acceleration MethodFor: any founder$$$: $200K investmentDeadline: August 22Johnson & Johnson Polyphonic AI Fund for Surgery Quickfire ChallengeFor: AI tech founders in the surgical care space$$$: $100KDeadline: August 22Communitas Ventures AcceleratorFor: NYC founders$$$: $25KDeadline: August 25Carbon 2 Value Initiative AcceleratorFor: carbontech startupsDeadline: August 29Mentors + Angels AcceleratorFor: early-stage overlooked foundersDeadline: October 15

🎪 Events

Visionaries Backyard BBQFor: VH founders and communityDate & Time: August 17 at 2pm ET, Maiden, MA"My Product's Not Ready" and 5 Other Myths About Early-Stage SalesFor: VH founders and communityDate & Time: September 3 at 12pm ET, Virtual

Startup Boston WeekFor: Boston founders and communityDate & Time: September 8-12, Boston

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