Abandon the VC norms and find capital on your own terms in 2025

in TechCrunch confuses 2025It takes place in western Moscon, San Francisco from October 27th to 29th, and there’s a frank conversation coming. Builder Stage – Unlocking what startup funds look like beyond the venture capital echo chamber.

Funding routes that don’t start in the valley

Today’s founders have more capital paths than ever before. But how do you navigate them? And do you know which ones actually support your growth? In this session, hear from Erik Allebest, CEO and co-founder of chess.com; Gale Wilkinson, Founder and Managing Partner Vitalize;Key Maxi, Vice President Lupoff/Stevens Family Office. Each brings a different perspective on how to raise funds without giving up on the vision or cap table.

Whether building through bootstrap, family office taps, or angel networks, this discussion breaks down what is currently working, what to avoid, and how to choose the approach that suits your goals.

Meet speakers who open up new funding lanes

Both Eric I transformed my university passion into Chess.com. It is currently a leading platform for players and learners with over 165 million users. Built without chasing venture capital, it is a bootstrap success story in its own league.

Gale Wilkinson He made 50 personal investments and led more than $80 million in early stage funding across 150 startups. She is a WorkTech expert, venture diversity champion and a go-to voice for founders who want value-sharing capital.

Kei Makihi It is a New York-based family office that brings cross-border lenses to its leading investors. With our experience spanning our markets with the Japanese market, she offers rare insights into how high-netted individuals and families can set back the startups for returns as well as impact.

Skip the status quo and provide funding smarter

There are multiple ways to reach the next round. Don’t miss this session It shows how founders fund differently – and win. Grab the pass Confusing TechCrunch today in 2025, saving up to $675 on ticket savings and in a room with over 10,000 startups and VC leaders.