Hey everyone,

My name is Eduardo Fonnegra, and I’m the founder of PitchNode, an accelerator and fundraising partner built to help founders raise capital with clarity, strategy, and the right investor alignment.

Many of you reading this, I’ve met personally. We’ve talked about your company, your stage, where you’re headed, and the very real challenges that come with fundraising. That’s exactly why I created this newsletter.

In 2026, founders need signal over noise.

Fundraising is one of the hardest journeys you’ll take on. You’re building the company, managing the team, selling the vision, and learning how to navigate investors — all at the same time.

Inside the Node is where I’ll share what I’m seeing inside real raises, how capital is moving, and practical insights that can actually help you make better decisions.

Whether we’ve worked together or we’re just getting to know each other, my goal is simple:

Make this something you look forward to reading, and something that sharpens your strategy.

Let’s get into it.

Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) just raised over $15 billion across new funds. In a market where venture fundraising has been slow and cautious, this is a meaningful signal, especially for founders building in infrastructure, applications, bio/healthcare, and American-focused innovation.

This isn’t just big VC news. It directly affects how capital will move over the next few years.

U.S. venture fundraising hit its weakest point in years in 2025, largely because investors weren’t seeing liquidity from IPOs or acquisitions. This raise signals renewed confidence, and suggests that some large firms believe the worst of the slowdown may be behind us.

a16z isn’t spreading this capital evenly. They’re doubling down on specific areas:

If you’re building in one of these categories, this should shape how you think about investor targeting.

When a platform like a16z raises at this scale, it often becomes a signal to the rest of the market. Other funds tend to follow, not immediately, but directionally.

Capital isn’t “back” everywhere, it’s concentrated. Founders who align their story, positioning, and outreach with active funds have a real advantage.

Funds like these aren’t looking at everything. Knowing which fund, which partner, and which mandate you fit into matters more than how polished your deck is.

a16z has been vocal about backing U.S.-led technological leadership. Whether or not you agree, understanding how investors frame their theses helps you communicate more effectively.

Before you tune this out, I know not everyone reading this is building an AI startup.

That’s not the point.

Major players like Meta, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI are collaborating on a new startup accelerator based in Paris. It’s focused on giving founders access to AI tools, compute resources, and support from the companies shaping the space.

On the surface, this looks like “AI news.”

But zoom out.

When competitors at that level start working together, it signals something bigger: AI isn’t just a trend, it’s becoming core infrastructure across industries.

You don’t have to pivot your company into AI.

But you should expect investors to think about it.

They’ll ask:

• Are you using AI to improve efficiency?

• Does it lower your cost structure?

• Does it create defensibility?

• Are competitors leveraging it faster than you?

Even if you’re not building an AI product, you’re operating in a market that’s increasingly AI-influenced.

That’s the takeaway.

If you’re building right now — especially if you’re raising — being visible matters.

Technical.ly just put out a roundup of 34 tech and startup events happening this month across the Mid-Atlantic (Philly, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, DC, etc.).

And this isn’t just generic networking stuff.

There are:

A few that stood out to me:

If you’re serious about raising, events like these do three things:

You don’t need to attend 10 events.

But you should probably attend at least one.

You don’t need to attend 10 events.

But you should probably attend at least one.

And regardless of where you’re building, always shake hands.

This business still runs on relationships. The more often the right people see you, meet you, and hear your story in person, the easier your raise becomes later.

Full list below:

We’re opening applications for our Q2 cohort at PitchNode.

This cohort is designed for founders preparing to raise institutional capital and who want to approach the process with structure, precision, and the right investor alignment.

We work closely with a small group of companies each quarter. The focus is execution.

Inside the cohort, we work alongside you to:

Fundraising is rarely about effort.

It’s about alignment and timing.

The Q2 cohort is for founders who want to run a disciplined raise, not an improvised one.

If you’re planning to raise in the coming months, applications are now open.

Click here to apply, y’all.