From idea to first check: Raising pre-seed and seed capital with Charles Hudson and Navin Chaddha at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

More than 10,000 founders, investors, and tech insiders volition convene astatine Moscone West successful San Francisco from October 27-29 for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 — 1 of the year’s astir anticipated tech conferences. 

Of the 250+ tech leaders taking the stage, don’t miss this standout sheet connected the Builders Stage featuring 2 of the astir respected early-stage investors successful venture: Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures and Navin Chaddha of Mayfield. Their league dives into 1 of the toughest moments successful immoderate startup’s journey: raising your archetypal circular erstwhile each you person is simply a vision.

Why articulation this speech connected the Builders Stage?

This honorable and tactical conversation will screen what truly matters erstwhile raising your archetypal organization check, from telling a compelling communicative to gathering spot without traction. Hudson and Chaddha volition stock the traits they consistently look for successful zero-to-one founders, the reddish flags that rise eyebrows, and the astir communal mistakes first-time entrepreneurs marque erstwhile fundraising.

Betting connected radical earlier the product

Pre-seed and effect fundraising often happens earlier there’s a product, idiosyncratic base, oregon traction. That means investors are betting connected the founder, not the business. And fewer cognize however to marque that telephone amended than Hudson and Chaddha. Between them, they’ve backed hundreds of founders astatine the earliest stages, earlier the transportation decks were polished, earlier determination were metrics to show, and often earlier a azygous enactment of codification had shipped.

Image Credits:Haje Kamps / TechCrunch

Charles Hudson, Managing Partner of Precursor Ventures, has invested successful much than 400 companies and supported implicit 450 founders. He’s built his estimation connected backing radical with bold ideas and unsocial perspectives, saying recently, “The earlier you invest, the much important it is to judge successful the founder’s communicative and quality to adapt. It’s not conscionable astir solving a occupation — it’s astir whether I judge you’re the 1 to bash it.”

Navin Chaddha, Managing Partner astatine Mayfield, brings decades of acquisition identifying breakout founders and guiding companies to scale. With much than $120 cardinal successful equity worth created done his investments, Chaddha believes the earliest stages are erstwhile laminitis values substance most. “We put successful radical first, markets second, and merchandise third,” he’s said. “We look for founders who are mission-driven and wired for resilience.”

Actionable insights connected raising your archetypal round

Whether you’re presently raising oregon readying for the future, this league volition equip you with real, actionable proposal connected navigating aboriginal task with clarity and conviction. Don’t miss it live, successful summation to 200+ sessions taking spot crossed 5 manufacture stages. Register present to save up to $675 earlier prices summation aft July!