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Retool raised a split Series A between Sequoia and five angels

David Hsu · 20VC: Retool Founder, David Hsu on Why YC Is Helpful Pre Product-Market Fit but Not Post and Why VCs Are Not Helpful Pre-Product Market-Fit but are Post, Why it is Difficult to Become Unprofitable if You Set Yourself Up For Profitability Early & Why VC Th · Dec 17, 2020 · at 11:12

David Hsu, founder and CEO of Retool, details the investment structure of Retool's Series A financing.

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“We had a slightly strange structure for the Series A, we raised a split round, it was split between five angel investors, as well as Sequoia”

quote is from the automated transcript, cleaned for reading: filler sounds and stutters are removed, nothing is rephrased. names can be misheard (the analysis reads context, assessments check outside sources). how →

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