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7 July 2026

Founders’ Toolkit - Working With Attorneys In The Age Of AI

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Lowenstein Sandler

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Lowenstein Sandler LLP is a national law firm with over 400 lawyers based in New York, Palo Alto, Roseland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. We represent clients in virtually every sector of the global economy, with particular strength in the areas of technology, life sciences, and investment funds.

After closing a priced equity round, early-stage companies often find that their runways shrink faster than expected. This article explores venture debt as a strategic tool to extend runway, serve as insurance in uncertain fundraising environments, or fund discrete initiatives without additional equity dilution.
United States Finance and Banking
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After closing a priced equity round, early-stage companies often find that their runways shrink faster than expected. Before selling additional equity and diluting the founders and existing investors even more, there is another tool worth considering: venture debt. When deployed thoughtfully, venture debt can be a valuable tool to help an early-stage company extend runway, serve as a strategic insurance policy in uncertain fundraising environments, fund discrete initiatives, or hit milestones that support a higher valuation in the next equity round. But venture debt comes with obligations and constraints that founders should evaluate carefully before signing on.

This installment of the Founders’ Toolkit provides a high-level overview of venture debt, when it should be used, and how founders should approach negotiating the terms. 

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The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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