Marketplace Founders Initiative
Our Leadership Team
Sector Chair for EdTech (vertical within Consumer (B2C)). Auto-imported.
About Marketplace Founders Initiative
Marketplace founders raised in a selective year. Crunchbase News reports about $7.3 billion in global e-commerce startup funding through most of 2025, on track for the sector’s lowest total in years.
Large rounds still went to marketplaces. Live shopping marketplace Whatnot closed a $225 million Series F at an $11.5 billion valuation, and the digital products marketplace Whop took a $200 million strategic investment. Across all sectors, Crunchbase counted $425 billion in global venture funding in 2025, up 30% from 2024.
Meet us
Membership is by nomination and approval. Request an invitation and we'll review your background. If it's a fit, we arrange a nomination and invite you to the Nominee Preview Q&A, a 30-minute Zoom where current members walk through how Founders Network works and take questions. The next one is Thursday, November 19 at 9:30 AM PT.
Request an invitationAlready nominated? RSVP to the Nominee Preview.
Frequently asked questions
Is it hard to raise money for a marketplace startup?
Funding is selective. Crunchbase News reports about $7.3 billion in global e-commerce startup funding through most of 2025, on track for the lowest total in years, though some marketplaces raised large rounds.
Which marketplaces raised big rounds in 2025?
Crunchbase reports that Whatnot closed a $225 million Series F at an $11.5 billion valuation, and Whop received a $200 million strategic investment.
How much venture funding was there in 2025?
Crunchbase counted $425 billion in global venture funding in 2025, up 30% from $328 billion in 2024.
How do I join Founders Network as a marketplace founder?
Founders Network is selective and membership is by invitation. You can request an invitation, and the team reviews each request.
Get an invitation to the community.
Founders Network is an invite-only peer mentorship community for tech startup founders. Drop your email — we'll take it from there.
No spam. We review every request individually.