A 2025 update to BAM's speed-to-funding research:
Since 2022, BAM has partnered with Stitch, an independent third-party market intelligence firm, to evaluate how our clients' fundraising results compare to the broader venture market.
This ongoing analysis helps us quantify something we’ve long believed in: narrative capital matters, especially in volatile markets.
Twelve months after our last update, the 2025 data is in: BAM clients are not just raising more, they are raising faster.
Executive Summary: The 2025 BAM Fundraising Advantage
Since 2022, BAM and Stitch have tracked how communications impacts fundraising performance. With four years of data in our 2025 report, we’ve now proven the connection between strong storytelling and fundraising velocity.
This year’s data shows a shift: While the larger market navigates with a bit more caution, BAM clients are moving through rounds with speed (and confidence). Companies that invest in narrative development are not just securing capital; they are closing rounds faster and entering growth stages with momentum.
The 2025 findings reinforce what we see every day: Consistent media relations and ongoing narrative development turn into real fundraising advantages, particularly as companies mature.
Speed-to-Funding: The Competitive Edge
Speed-to-funding is one of the top indicators of company health. Faster closes reduce burn risk, protect valuation momentum, and allow founders to focus on building instead of fundraising.
For the first time in this multi-year study, our clients outpaced the general market at every measured stage of the fundraising lifecycle.
Here’s what that means:
Early-Stage Rounds: Building Momentum
In the early stages of a startup's life, securing capital quickly is the goal. In 2025, it’s clear that BAM clients established that speed-to-funding quickly.
Between Rounds 1 and 2, BAM clients closed deals 3% faster than the market average. As these companies progressed to the gap between Rounds 2 and 3, that advantage doubled, with clients raising 6% faster than the Crunchbase benchmark.
Momentum compounds, and while these percentages may seem modest on paper, they compound significantly during later rounds.
Later-Stage Dominance: The BAM Effect
As start-ups grow, it’s typical to see funding timelines stretch. BAM clients broke this pattern entirely.
Between Rounds 3 and 4, BAM clients raised capital 35% faster than the market average.
To put this into perspective, the average market participant took 593 days to bridge the gap between these rounds. In contrast, BAM clients achieved the same milestone in just 384 days.
That’s nearly 209 days saved, showcasing the power of BAM, narrative capital, and consistent communication.
Capital Raised: Where BAM Clients Excel
The 2025 Stitch report highlights a strategic difference in how BAM clients raise capital in the later stages.
As companies advanced to Rounds 3 and 4, the value of storytelling became undeniable. It showed that BAM clients secured significantly larger capital than their peers.
Round 3 Performance:
- BAM clients raised 41% more capital than the Crunchbase sample.
- Average deal size: $34.2 million (BAM) vs. $24 million (Market).
Round 4 Performance:
- BAM clients continued to outperform, raising 41% more capital.
- Average deal size: $22.5 million (BAM) vs. $15 million (Market).
Total Funding Impact:
The average BAM client raised 13% more total funding over time compared to the general market. This data suggests that a strong narrative does not just attract attention; it justifies higher valuations and larger raises when it matters most.
The Role of Narrative Capital
These numbers cannot be explained by product-market fit alone. The differentiator is Narrative Capital.
In a crowded market, investors do not just back the best product; they back the most compelling story of future success. Strong narrative capital = strong likelihood of capital funding.
"Narrative capital is the accumulated trust, authority, and visibility a company builds through consistent storytelling. It transforms a company from a risky bet into an inevitable success in the eyes of VCs." - Beck Bamberger, Founder of BAM
The 2025 data validates our core philosophy: storytelling is a financial asset.
What This Means for Your Fundraising
This 2025 data sends a clear signal: Companies that treat PR as optional consistently raise less and take longer to do it. Founders who want to win in today’s landscape must prioritize storytelling alongside product and growth.
Key Takeaways for 2025:
- Start Early: Momentum built in Rounds 1 and 2 compounds significantly by Round 4.
- Focus on Velocity: Saving 200+ days between rounds provides a massive advantage.
- Maximize Growth Rounds: A strong brand reputation allows for 40%+ larger raises in later stages.
We have always known our work helps venture-backed companies stand out. Now, with four years of data, the conclusion is clear: BAM clients raise faster, and they raise more.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much faster do BAM clients raise capital in later stages?
BAM clients raised capital 35% faster between Rounds 3 and 4 compared to market average, closing in 384 days versus 593 days. That's a 209-day advantage, allowing them to deploy capital and capture market share while competitors remain in fundraising.
What is "Narrative Capital"?
Narrative capital is accumulated trust, authority, and visibility built through consistent storytelling. It transforms companies from risky bets into seemingly inevitable successes in investors' eyes, reducing friction in fundraising and justifying higher valuations.
How much more capital do BAM clients raise overall?
BAM clients raise 13% more total funding over their lifecycle. In Round 3, they secured 41% larger checks ($34.2M vs. $24M), and in Round 4, they maintained that 41% advantage ($22.5M vs. $15M).
What's the key advantage in early-stage rounds?
BAM clients close Rounds 1-2 three percent faster and Rounds 2-3 six percent faster than market average. Though modest percentages, this preserves weeks of runway and signals strong execution to the market.
Why does BAM recommend starting PR early?
Early momentum in Rounds 1-2 compounds significantly by Round 4. Starting narrative development immediately maximizes the cumulative advantage and positions companies for larger capital injections in growth stages.
Original 2023 data:
Last year, BAM partnered with Stitch, an independent third-party marketing research firm, to evaluate our clients' fundraising results versus the market at large. The original results showed that BAM clients raise 107% more funding than the average VC-backed tech company.
12 months later, the market is very different. According to a Crunchbase report, Q3 2022 venture funding was down 53% year-over-year, and fewer companies are joining the unicorn club. Despite these headwinds, the 2023 update on our Stitch report showed that BAM clients raise 94% more funding than the average VC-backed tech company.
Average Funding $ Amount Per Round, 2022 vs. 2023
*Excludes outlier BAM client Pacaso, which had $1.3B in total funding.
Similar to last year's report, BAM clients, on average, took longer to receive funding than the Crunchbase sample. But this year's update shows that BAM clients raised faster than last year. There were fewer days between raising rounds 1 & 2, and rounds 2 & 3 for BAM clients compared to BAM clients last year. Overall, BAM clients raised a total of 94% more funding than other venture-backed startups:
- BAM clients raised 46% more than the average venture-backed tech company for funding round 1
- 14% less for funding round 2
- 101% more for funding round 3
- 102% more for funding round 4
We're proud to see that the data backs up what we already anecdotally know to be true: our client raise! Do you want to experience the BAM effect for your startup? Let's get to work!
Original 2022 data:
Stitch, a third-party marketing research firm, has confirmed BAM clients raise 107% more funding than the average VC-backed tech company.
To calculate this metric, Stitch sampled 300 companies from Crunchbase’s database, filtered by industry — artificial intelligence, healthcare technologies, cybersecurity, and cloud security — and funding round to match BAM clients’ 2016 to 2022 funding rounds.
Stitch then compared the sample set with BAM clients from 2016 to 2022. The results showed that while BAM clients took on average 22% longer between funding rounds, they raised more money. In particular:
- BAM clients raised 53% more than the average venture-backed tech company for Series A funding
- 64% more for Series B
- 100% more for Series C
- 251% more for Series D
- 107% more for the total funding amount
"This five-year span study gives us quantitative data that backs up what we've felt and known for a long time: the storytelling we do for our clients and our vast network of venture capitalists means serious money." — BAM CEO, Beck Bamberger
Data is a key aspect of our storytelling, and we're proud of what this data now confirms: BAM clients overwhelmingly raise more money than other startups.
LEAVE A COMMENT