Ascend '26 · workshop
Lunch & Learn: A founder masterclass in raising capital
Beat the investor's house edge and raise on symmetrical terms
The institutional capital ecosystem is genuinely useful. It is also not optimising for you.
Every investor, advisor, and lawyer does this 100 times a year. You might play this game once or twice. That information asymmetry is their house edge - and it is designed to keep you on the losing side of the table.
This masterclass is the manual they assume you haven't read.
Join Mike Canizales (Ninemsn, Microsoft, XA Network, AI Native Australia) and other seasoned, scarred founders that have learned lessons that you can avoid by attending this masterclass.
Learn how to establish founder and investor symmetry, avoid the hidden term sheet traps that can wipe out your exit equity (like participating preferreds or board control traps), and navigate the brutal new 2026 regime where the old 18-month planning rules are dead.
This masterclass is designed to level the playing field for founders ready to swim with the sharks in the VC, PE, Angel, and Venture Debt ocean.
Capacity is limited to 40.
Speakers
What to expect
- 📊 2026 venture reality check
- 📝 Line-by-line term sheet teardowns
- 💧 Exit waterfalls modeled backward
- ⚖️ Actionable leverage-building strategies
- 🎙️ Direct, unscripted founder Q&A