Databricks was going to raise $1B. VCs piled in and wanted to invest $15B. Databricks ended up raising $5B – 5x the amount they initially set out to raise.
Rillet, an AI accounting software startup, raised $100M and became a unicorn in 48 hours. All they did was hold a board meeting and share their business growth. Then the calls started coming in, and the round was quickly put together. The company wasn’t even looking to raise.
Build a healthy, growing business, and the money will come knocking on your door – in that order. The reverse — somehow raising a bunch of money first and then buying your way to growth — may be every founder’s dream, but it rarely happens.