Corporate venture capital deployment into early-stage Software-as-a-Service startups fell to a three-year low in the third quarter. Investors are prioritizing balance-sheet health over aggressive user acquisition strategies.
Metrics Under Scrutiny
Due diligence periods have lengthened from an average of 45 days to over 90 days. Valuations are increasingly tied to net revenue retention and burn multiple efficiency rather than top-line annual recurring revenue growth metrics.