Target Raise
Target gross capital the company intends to raise in the currently active round (the "ask"). This is the headline number the CEO walks investors through and the board uses to sanity-check dilution and runway implications. Note the distinction from `total_round_size` (which can include third-party participation beyond the company-led ask) and from `minimum_close_amount` (the floor at which the round can close). Common pitfall: the target is updated mid-process when investor demand or strategy shifts — every change deserves a board note. — Fundraising KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).
I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier)
No public third-party standard anchors this KPI yet, so I'mBoard authors and maintains the definition — transparently labeled as editorial tier. See the ontology methodology for the published vs editorial tier system and the back-attribution workstream.
Rogue ID: fundraising.target_raise
Type: Currency
Domain: Fundraising
Definition
Target gross capital the company intends to raise in the currently active round (the "ask"). This is the headline number the CEO walks investors through and the board uses to sanity-check dilution and runway implications. Note the distinction from total_round_size (which can include third-party participation beyond the company-led ask) and from minimum_close_amount (the floor at which the round can close). Common pitfall: the target is updated mid-process when investor demand or strategy shifts — every change deserves a board note.
Formula
Plain currency target — no derivation. Distinct from `total_round_size` (which may include strategic / employee allocations beyond the lead ask) and `minimum_close_amount` (the floor for the round to close).Why it matters
Defines the contract between management and the board for this round — every downstream KPI (round_completion_pct, founder_dilution, runway extension) is calibrated against it.
How to interpret
Compare against stage norms (per Carta / PitchBook quarterly reports): pre-seed $0.5–3M, seed $2–5M, Series A $8–20M, Series B $20–60M. A target significantly above stage norm warrants extra board scrutiny on burn assumptions and investor fit.
Related KPIs
fundraising.committed_amountfundraising.total_round_sizefundraising.minimum_close_amountfundraising.round_completion_pctfundraising.founder_dilution
Source
I'mBoard editorial — authored and maintained by I'mBoard, first published 2026-04-01. No third-party standard is cited for this KPI; when one emerges, the definition is back-attributed and promoted to the published tier (a minor version bump). Read the ontology methodology for the published vs editorial tier system, attribution rules, and dispute process.
Stage relevance
| Company stage | Priority |
|---|---|
| Pre-Seed | Core |
| Seed | Core |
| Series A | Core |
| Series B | Core |
| Series C+ | Core |
Suggested for stages: Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, Series B, Series C+.
Default owning functions
- Finance
Machine-readable
- This KPI as JSON:
/api/ontology/fundraising/target_raise.json - All Fundraising KPIs:
/api/ontology/fundraising.json - Full catalog:
/api/ontology/index.json
Fundraising Strategy
Free-text narrative covering the planned fundraising approach for the current round: target investor types (lead profile, co-investors), timing, sequencing of the conversation, use of proceeds, milestones the round will get the company to, and the alternative scenarios if the primary plan slips. This is the "what is the CEO actually doing" section of the fundraising update. Common pitfall: strategy that does not name a target lead investor profile or use-of-proceeds milestone is not strategy — it is intent. Boards should push for specificity here. — Fundraising KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).
Target Valuation
The pre-money valuation the current round is being run to land — the valuation "ask" that anchors the pitch and the dilution math management is targeting. Distinct from `pre_money_valuation` (the precise NVCA-defined price the round actually closes at, known only once a term sheet is signed): this is the aim, set going in. The board reads the target alongside `fundraising.minimum_valuation` as a valuation BAND — the two together tell a very different story than a single point. Common pitfall: a target valuation set on 2021-vintage multiples in a compressed market; always sanity-check against current stage-relative ranges from quarterly Carta / PitchBook / SaaS Capital reports. — Fundraising KPI, I'mBoard-authored (editorial tier).