United States: Venture Capital

The U.S. Department of Energy and Small Business Administration have launched a groundbreaking partnership to direct private investment toward small businesses developing energy and critical technologies. This new initiative combines federal expertise with private capital to accelerate commercialization of innovations in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced manufacturing, and energy security. Fund managers and entrepreneurs in these strategic sectors now have access to expanded financing opp

Partners Laura Cicirelli and Eric Weiner explore the critical elements founders need to understand when entering their first priced preferred stock financing round. From liquidation preferences and governance rights to founder re-vesting and drag-along provisions, this discussion reveals how these initial equity decisions establish the power dynamics that will shape all future funding rounds.

California is going through a record-breaking venture capital surge, fueled mostly by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. Companies based in the state have attracted approximately $366 billion in venture capital since the beginning of 2026, nearly twice California’s previous annual record and more than three times the amount raised by companies in the other 49 states combined, according to PitchBook data reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act has fundamentally transformed Section 1202's qualified small business stock (QSBS) tax benefits, introducing tiered holding periods that allow partial capital gains exclusions...

National security investing is attracting capital, yet it remains poorly defined as an investment category. Global venture investment in defense technology rose 75 percent from 2024 to 2025, while private funds...

Lowenstein partners Laura Cicirelli and Eric Weiner examine how valuation and cap table mathematics affect founders throughout their company's lifecycle, walking through equity incentive pools, convertible securities, pre-money and post-money valuations, and priced equity rounds. The discussion reveals why founders must look beyond headline valuations in term sheets to understand how today's cap table decisions shape future fundraising, incentives, and long-term growth.

The opening quarter of 2026 brought a noticeable cooling in mid-market life sciences venture activity, with deal volume dropping significantly from prior periods.

Dr. Josh Sigsworth, founder and CEO of StairAssist Walker, shares his journey from physical therapy student to medical device entrepreneur. Discover how witnessing thousands of patients struggle with stair mobility inspired him to create the first medical equipment designed specifically for both walking and stairs, and learn about his vision to solve a global problem affecting 276 million aging adults worldwide.

Christian Munafo, Portfolio Manager of Growth Equity at VanEck, discusses the evolution of the non-traditional secondaries market, the rise of late-stage private investing, and the growing convergence of public and private markets. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience in venture and growth equity secondaries, he explains how the market has expanded beyond traditional LP-led transactions to include GP-led deals, structured solutions, and direct investments in private companies.