Data Desk by Carta: Private Market Insights

Private Market Insights

Data Desk

Our research helps founders, investors, and employees navigate the world of startups with more clarity.

Interact with the latest VC data

Carta's round benchmarking tool enables you to query our proprietary dataset on deal sizes and valuations. Filter by stage, sector, and geography in order to get the most customized benchmark for your fundraising situation.

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The front office advantage: Carta is the official sponsor of the Golden State Warriors 2026 NBA Draft

Learn how to draft your startup's team like an NBA front office with Carta's latest, exclusive analysis: The Total Comp Scouting Report.

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VC Fund Performance: Q1 2026

Venture capital fund performance rebounded in Q1 2026: Carta funds raised $3.9B across 86 new funds, while TVPI climbed for nearly every recent vintage.

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State of Private Markets: Q1 2026

Venture capital is making a comeback, with $30.4 billion raised in Q1 2026, fewer down rounds and less dilution. However, over 60% of funding went to AI, creating a huge valuation gap for startups.

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State of Pre-Seed: Q1 2026

Pre-seed startup funding in Q1 2026 matches recent quarters, suggesting a stabilization of the market.

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The Data Minute podcast

How to Hire Before You Raise | Francois Ajenstat, Founder and CEO, Golden Analytics - The Data Minute | Spotify

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Jul 9· The Data Minute

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Events

Fundraising in 2026: Benchmarks, Trends, and What’s Different Now

This webinar recording analyzes fundraising trends across priced rounds, including volume, valuation trends, bridge and down rounds, dilution, and time between raises.

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Fund Economics: Demystifying Operations, Fees, and Expenses

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RAISE Emerging Manager Fund Analysis

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The New Dynamics of Venture, Private Equity, and Credit: Five Trends Shaping the Private Market

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Read our data stories

Interact with Carta data using the Round Benchmarking Tool

Discover real-time insights on round sizes, valuations, and dilution with Carta's Round Benchmarking Tool. Tailor benchmarks by stage, sector, and region.

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In a slow fundraising environment, investors spy an opportunity for emerging managers

In the midst of a relatively stagnant fundraising environment, emerging fund managers may have an appealing value proposition to present to LPs.

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As PE’s exit math changes, investors are finding new ways to drive portfolio growth

PE firms are holding onto portfolio companies longer than they used to, and standout exits have grown increasingly rare. In response, the PE industry is finding new ways to drive growth and work toward the exits they need.

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How PE firms are investing in AI amid a once-in-a-generation boom

PE firms typically don't invest in the sort of high-growth startups that dominate the AI market today. But that doesn't mean PE is sitting out the AI revolution.

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Dynamic duos: Two-founder teams are divvying up their equity more equally than ever

Founding teams come in many sizes. But two-founder teams are the most successful when it comes to raising capital. And in recent years, the way these two-founder teams divide their equity has undergone a sizable shift.

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PE firms are busy buying up secondary investment firms. What does it mean for LPs?

PE firms are acquiring secondary investment firms. Explore what this consolidation means for LPs, from potential conflicts to new deal opportunities.

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Here's how (and why) executive equity grants differ between PE-backed portfolio companies and VC-backed startups

PE-backed companies use executive equity in different ways than VC-backed startups. A close look at how structure, ownership, and exit math help shape the equity landscape in PE.

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How buy-side dynamics are shifting in the white-hot secondary market

As investment activity booms, the secondaries landscape is undergoing a generational shift. How can buy-side investors ensure they're keeping pace?

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About our data

Carta helps more than 50,000 startups and over 1,700,000 security holders manage over $4.5 trillion in equity. We share insights from this unmatched dataset about the private markets and venture ecosystem to help founders, employees, and investors make informed decisions and understand market conditions.

The customer data that we publish is aggregated and anonymized. Companies that have contractually requested that we not use their data in anonymized and aggregated studies are not included in our analysis.