[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"nav-categories":3,"article-the-series-a-crunch-of-2025-why-mid-stage-startups-are-failing-at-record-rates":70},{"data":4},[5,37,57,64],{"name":6,"slug":7,"categories":8},"Productivity","productivity",[9,13,17,21,25,29,33],{"id":10,"title":11,"slug":12},17,"Branding","branding",{"id":14,"title":15,"slug":16},19,"Marketing","marketing",{"id":18,"title":19,"slug":20},20,"Work","work",{"id":22,"title":23,"slug":24},34,"Community","community",{"id":26,"title":27,"slug":28},21,"For newbies","for-newbies",{"id":30,"title":31,"slug":32},24,"Investment","investment",{"id":34,"title":35,"slug":36},22,"Finance","finance",{"name":38,"slug":39,"categories":40},"Tech","tech",[41,45,49,53],{"id":42,"title":43,"slug":44},28,"Technology","technology",{"id":46,"title":47,"slug":48},32,"Artificial Intelligence","artificial-intelligence",{"id":50,"title":51,"slug":52},26,"Security and protection","security-and-protection",{"id":54,"title":55,"slug":56},31,"YouTube Blog","youtube-blog",{"name":58,"slug":59,"categories":60},"News","news",[61],{"id":62,"title":58,"slug":63},18,"quasanews",{"name":65,"slug":66,"categories":67},"Business","business",[68],{"id":69,"title":65,"slug":66},16,{"post":71,"published_news":95,"popular_news":154,"categories":218},{"title":72,"description":73,"meta_title":72,"meta_description":74,"meta_keywords":75,"text":76,"slug":77,"created_at":78,"publish_at":79,"formatted_created_at":80,"category_id":30,"links":81,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":86,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"category":89},"The \"Series A Crunch\" of 2025: Why Mid-Stage Startups are Failing at Record Rates","The honeymoon period for VC-backed startups has officially ended. While early-stage ventures seem to be holding their ground, the \"middle class\" of the startup world is facing a brutal reckoning.","a platform specializing in the legal and financial dissolution of companies — the share of Series A startups shutting down has surged by a staggering 133% in 2025.","SimpleClosure notes that the share of Series A companies in the total \"graveyard\" rose from 6% in 2024 to 14% in 2025.","\u003Cp>The honeymoon period for VC-backed startups has officially ended. While early-stage ventures seem to be holding their ground, the "middle class" of the startup world is facing a brutal reckoning.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"169\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2025-12-18T175901.732.jpg\" width=\"300\" />According to new data from \u003Cstrong>SimpleClosure \u003C/strong>— a platform specializing in the legal and financial dissolution of companies — the share of \u003Cstrong>Series A startups shutting down has surged by a staggering 133% in 2025.\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>This data offers a sobering counterpoint to the hype surrounding AI and the perceived recovery of the venture market. It suggests that while the "dreaming" stage (Pre-seed and Seed) remains relatively stable, the "execution" stage (Series A) is where reality is hitting the hardest.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch4>\u003Cstrong>The Death of the "Bridge to Nowhere"\u003C/strong>\u003C/h4>\n\n\u003Cp>The shift in shutdown distribution across funding rounds tells a clear story:\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"The Death of the "Bridge to Nowhere"\" height=\"207\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/2025-12-18_17-53-14.png\" width=\"500\" />\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>SimpleClosure \u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7404914409204084737/\">notes\u003C/a> that the share of Series A companies in the total "graveyard" rose from \u003Cstrong>6% in 2024 to 14% in 2025.\u003C/strong> These aren't just small experiments; these are companies that raised an average of \u003Cstrong>$18.5 million\u003C/strong> (up from $14.6M the previous year) and have been operating for an average of seven years.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp class=\"image-align-center\">\u003Cimg alt=\"\" height=\"300\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/photo_2025-12-18_17-58-00.jpg\" width=\"300\" />\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Many of these failing companies were launched between \u003Cstrong>2017 and 2019\u003C/strong>. They survived the pandemic and the 2022 market cooling by raising multiple bridge rounds, but in 2025, the "bridge to nowhere" has finally run out of tarmac.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch3>Why Series A is the New "Danger Zone"\u003C/h3>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-left\" height=\"223\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2025-12-18T180017.912.jpg\" width=\"150\" />The "Series A Crunch" is driven by three primary factors:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Col>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The "ZIRP" Hangover:\u003C/strong> Companies that raised easily during the Zero Interest Rate Policy (ZIRP) era are now being judged by 2025 metrics — profitability, efficient unit economics, and high growth — which many simply cannot meet.\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Market Consolidation:\u003C/strong> Sectors like \u003Cstrong>Fintech, Proptech, and B2B SaaS\u003C/strong> are oversaturated. With AI disrupting traditional software models, older SaaS companies are finding their "moats" evaporated overnight.\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The Capital Bar:\u003C/strong> Investors are no longer throwing good money after bad. A Series A company with a $15M burn and flat growth is no longer a "potential winner"; it's a liability.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ol>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch3>5 Fast Facts: The 2025 Startup Reckoning\u003C/h3>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The 7-Year Itch:\u003C/strong> The average age of a closing Series A company in 2025 is 7 years, meaning they are "Zombie Startups" that finally accepted they cannot reach the Series B milestone.\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Raising More to Fail Harder:\u003C/strong> The average capital raised by closing startups increased to $18.5M, indicating that founders are burning more cash in a desperate attempt to pivot before finally shutting down.\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>Seed Stage Resilience:\u003C/strong> Pre-seed and Seed closures have actually \u003Cem>decreased\u003C/em> in share. This is likely because these startups are leaner, have lower burn rates, and are often building with "AI-native" efficiency from day one.\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>B2B SaaS Fatigue:\u003C/strong> B2B SaaS represents the largest category of closures. The "death by a thousand subscriptions" in corporate budgets has led to massive churn for non-essential software.\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Cstrong>The "Clean-Up" Industry:\u003C/strong> SimpleClosure itself is a sign of the times. The business of "shutting down startups" is one of the few growth sectors in the current ecosystem, as founders look for professional ways to wind down without legal repercussions.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Chr />\n\u003Ch3>Analysis: A Healthy Pruning?\u003C/h3>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cimg alt=\"\" class=\"image-align-right\" height=\"447\" src=\"https://quasa.io/storage/photos/00/image - 2025-12-18T180021.649.jpg\" width=\"300\" />While a 133% increase in closures sounds catastrophic, many economists view this as a "healthy pruning" of the ecosystem. The capital that was trapped in underperforming 2018-era Fintechs is now being freed up — along with the talent — to move toward the next wave of technological innovation.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>However, for founders and employees in that "Series A middle," 2025 remains the most challenging year in a decade.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Also read:\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cul>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/the-ai-tectonic-shift-gavin-baker-on-why-openai-lost-the-lead-to-google-and-xai\">The AI Tectonic Shift: Gavin Baker on Why OpenAI Lost the Lead to Google and xAI\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/beyond-the-bento-how-china-s-high-speed-rail-is-redefining-fast-food-delivery\">Beyond the Bento: How China’s High-Speed Rail Is Redefining Fast Food Delivery\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/tiktok-s-bold-us-pivot-the-planned-m2-app-and-the-massive-user-migration-challenge\">TikTok's Bold US Pivot: The Planned 'M2' App and the Massive User Migration Challenge\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\t\u003Cli>\u003Ca href=\"https://quasa.io/media/army-of-backpack-wearing-cyborg-cockroaches-swarm-desert-target\">Army of Backpack-Wearing Cyborg Cockroaches Swarm Desert Target\u003C/a>\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\n\u003Cp>Author: \u003Ca href=\"https://www.linkedin.com/in/slava-vasipenok/\">Slava Vasipenok\u003C/a>\u003Cbr />\nFounder and CEO of QUASA (quasa.io) - Daily insights on Web3, AI, Crypto, and Freelance. Stay updated on finance, technology trends, and creator tools - with sources and real value.\u003C/p>\n\n\u003Cp>Innovative entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience in IT, fintech, and blockchain. Specializes in decentralized solutions for freelancing, helping to overcome the barriers of traditional finance, especially in developing regions.\u003C/p>","the-series-a-crunch-of-2025-why-mid-stage-startups-are-failing-at-record-rates","2025-12-18T17:02:16.000000Z","2025-12-28T06:51:00.000000Z","28.12.2025",{"image":82,"thumb":83},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/HcyvngvesiSD3lboxkOwvcmjpEYHbfTFFvIJaNJ9.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/HcyvngvesiSD3lboxkOwvcmjpEYHbfTFFvIJaNJ9.jpg","small",null,1541,0,"en",{"id":30,"title":31,"slug":32,"meta_title":90,"meta_description":91,"meta_keywords":92,"deleted_at":85,"created_at":93,"updated_at":94,"lang":88},"Quasa Media Blog about Growth Hacking in Investing","Investments and life hacks. Forecasts and investment trends in Quasa Media.","Investment, IPO, bonds, Gold, invest. Investments, investor","2021-12-10T10:41:35.000000Z","2024-08-25T15:37:37.000000Z",[96,109,120,131,143],{"title":97,"description":98,"slug":99,"created_at":100,"publish_at":101,"formatted_created_at":102,"category":103,"links":104,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":107,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Your Computer Mouse Can Now Eavesdrop on You","Researchers from the University of California, Irvine have demonstrated a surprising new security threat: an ordinary optical computer mouse can be turned into a covert microphone capable of listening to your conversations.","your-computer-mouse-can-now-eavesdrop-on-you","2026-03-25T21:21:22.000000Z","2026-04-09T11:13:00.000000Z","09.04.2026",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":105,"thumb":106},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/zvGSPNFVpmuJgnlniEHiwPc4aaeGYIVAuwxhouXu.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/zvGSPNFVpmuJgnlniEHiwPc4aaeGYIVAuwxhouXu.jpg",165,false,{"title":110,"description":111,"slug":112,"created_at":113,"publish_at":114,"formatted_created_at":102,"category":115,"links":116,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":119,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Figure AI Founder Brett Adcock Launches Hark: A New Lab Building True Personal AGI","Brett Adcock, the founder of humanoid robotics company Figure AI, has quietly launched his next ambitious venture: Hark, an AI laboratory dedicated to creating the world’s most advanced personal intelligence.","figure-ai-founder-brett-adcock-launches-hark-a-new-lab-building-true-personal-agi","2026-03-25T20:23:25.000000Z","2026-04-09T09:11:00.000000Z",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":117,"thumb":118},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/C1UuYbaKmb90FPNMq9HupZ84jzRUQmO6HBbSPEPh.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/C1UuYbaKmb90FPNMq9HupZ84jzRUQmO6HBbSPEPh.jpg",242,{"title":121,"description":122,"slug":123,"created_at":124,"publish_at":125,"formatted_created_at":102,"category":126,"links":127,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":130,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Pokémon Go’s 10-Year Legacy: How Millions of Players Accidentally Trained Robots to Deliver Your Food","Ten years after its explosive launch, Pokémon Go continues to deliver surprises — this time, not in the form of rare Pikachu, but in the form of a powerful new navigation system for delivery robots.","pokemon-go-s-10-year-legacy-how-millions-of-players-accidentally-trained-robots-to-deliver-your-food","2026-03-25T20:06:36.000000Z","2026-04-09T06:59:00.000000Z",{"title":43,"slug":44},{"image":128,"thumb":129},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/ceiFSOJQ3diMLwMI4POUSJwIjscAuwf5TWE2DXlN.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/ceiFSOJQ3diMLwMI4POUSJwIjscAuwf5TWE2DXlN.jpg",291,{"title":132,"description":133,"slug":134,"created_at":135,"publish_at":135,"formatted_created_at":136,"category":137,"links":138,"view_type":141,"video_url":85,"views":142,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Jaxx Liberty for Cross-Device Crypto Management","A practical article about Jaxx Liberty as a cross-platform blockchain wallet with portfolio tools, exchange access, and block explorer features for daily crypto management.","jaxx-liberty-for-cross-device-crypto-management","2026-04-08T12:21:43.000000Z","08.04.2026",{"title":35,"slug":36},{"image":139,"thumb":140},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/2BoYmDUS7F9wHE0dwpD2KUpX702LkL1Spp2KC5Vm.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/2BoYmDUS7F9wHE0dwpD2KUpX702LkL1Spp2KC5Vm.jpg","large",966,{"title":144,"description":145,"slug":146,"created_at":147,"publish_at":148,"formatted_created_at":136,"category":149,"links":150,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":153,"likes":87,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Proposes Paying Engineers with AI Tokens","Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has put forward a radical new idea for compensating tech talent: paying engineers part of their salary in AI tokens.","nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-proposes-paying-engineers-with-ai-tokens","2026-03-25T19:56:16.000000Z","2026-04-08T11:48:00.000000Z",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":151,"thumb":152},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/KL5Yqt5ZzW3R4cu7XmE15grrRHdKZ1WBoKbC6Zu3.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/KL5Yqt5ZzW3R4cu7XmE15grrRHdKZ1WBoKbC6Zu3.jpg",999,[155,168,181,193,206],{"title":156,"description":157,"slug":158,"created_at":159,"publish_at":160,"formatted_created_at":161,"category":162,"links":163,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":166,"likes":167,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"The Anatomy of an Entrepreneur","Entrepreneur is a French word that means an enterpriser. Enterprisers are people who undertake a business or enterprise with the chance of earning profits or suffering from loss.","the-anatomy-of-an-entrepreneur","2021-08-04T15:18:21.000000Z","2025-12-14T06:09:00.000000Z","14.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":164,"thumb":165},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/mVsXPTMuHZuI7UXCsENgL1Qwp1uSOf7Rz3uVPMfm.webp",68082,2,{"title":169,"description":170,"slug":171,"created_at":172,"publish_at":173,"formatted_created_at":174,"category":175,"links":176,"view_type":141,"video_url":85,"views":179,"likes":180,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"Advertising on QUASA","QUASA MEDIA is read by more than 400 thousand people a month. We offer to place your article, add a link or order the writing of an article for publication.","advertising-on-quasa","2022-07-06T07:33:02.000000Z","2025-12-15T17:33:02.000000Z","15.12.2025",{"title":58,"slug":63},{"image":177,"thumb":178},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/45SvmdsTQbiyc3nxgbyHY1mpVbisYyub2BCHjqBL.jpg",67503,4,{"title":182,"description":183,"slug":184,"created_at":185,"publish_at":186,"formatted_created_at":187,"category":188,"links":189,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":192,"likes":180,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"What is a Startup?","A startup is not a new company, not a tech company, nor a new tech company. You can be a new tech company, if your goal is not to grow high and fast; then, you are not a startup. ","what-is-a-startup","2021-08-04T12:05:17.000000Z","2025-12-17T13:02:00.000000Z","17.12.2025",{"title":65,"slug":66},{"image":190,"thumb":191},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/EOsQhSW3VXyG7a6NPdE1oZd00xfJXe3bjY5aJGb7.webp",65732,{"title":194,"description":195,"slug":196,"created_at":197,"publish_at":198,"formatted_created_at":199,"category":200,"links":201,"view_type":84,"video_url":85,"views":204,"likes":167,"lang":88,"comments_count":205,"is_pinned":108},"Top 5 Tips to Make More Money as a Content Creator","Content creators are one of the most desired job titles right now. Who wouldn’t want to earn a living online?","top-5-tips-to-make-more-money-as-a-content-creator","2022-01-17T17:31:51.000000Z","2026-01-17T11:30:00.000000Z","17.01.2026",{"title":19,"slug":20},{"image":202,"thumb":203},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/gP8kiumBPpJmQv6SMieXiX1tDetx43VwFfO1P4Ca.jpg",40161,1,{"title":207,"description":208,"slug":209,"created_at":210,"publish_at":211,"formatted_created_at":212,"category":213,"links":214,"view_type":141,"video_url":85,"views":217,"likes":167,"lang":88,"comments_count":87,"is_pinned":108},"8 Logo Design Tips for Small Businesses","Your logo tells the story of your business and the values you stand for.","8-logo-design-tips-for-small-businesses","2021-12-04T21:59:52.000000Z","2025-05-05T03:30:00.000000Z","05.05.2025",{"title":15,"slug":16},{"image":215,"thumb":216},"https://quasa.io/storage/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg","https://api.quasa.io/thumbs/news-thumb/images/news/Wbx2NtS1CnTupgoQbpFMGspJ5jm4uob2hDOq33r0.jpg",39541,[219,220,221,222,223,224,225,226,227,228,229,230,231],{"title":23,"slug":24},{"title":47,"slug":48},{"title":55,"slug":56},{"title":43,"slug":44},{"title":51,"slug":52},{"title":31,"slug":32},{"title":35,"slug":36},{"title":27,"slug":28},{"title":19,"slug":20},{"title":15,"slug":16},{"title":58,"slug":63},{"title":11,"slug":12},{"title":65,"slug":66}]