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The VC Playbook: How to Spot a Purple Cow in Crowded Pastures

By Barbara Tague, Financial Research Leader

The venture capital landscape is pivoting to a stage of accelerated capital deployment as investment periods narrow and macroeconomic conditions burgeon. With a crowded marketplace and a sense of underlying urgency, how do investors spot coveted startups in this environment?

In this playbook, we leverage insights from Harry Stebbings of 20VC to answer this question among others, including: What are the characteristics of successful early stage companies? Which unconventional criteria play an important role in securing deals?

About the Author
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    Barbara Tague, Financial Research Leader

    Barb is a Financial Research Leader covering the financial services segment at AlphaSense. Previously, she spent more than a decade at institutional investment managers and at a SaaS startup leading business development, content, and product initiatives.

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Luxury at an Inflection Point: What the Numbers Aren’t Telling Investors

Luxury has enjoyed close to four decades of near-continuous growth, and the industry has come to view that run as a baseline rather than an exception.
Dark blue graphic with the title "Luxury at an Inflection Point: What the Numbers Aren't Telling Investors." Features blue line drawings of a watch, handbag, and high heels, with text mentioning interviews with LVMH and Prada executives.

Key Debates Transforming Healthcare and Life Sciences in 2026

2026 is a year of transition for healthcare and life sciences as the industry moves toward more convenient, patient-centric care.
A graphic titled "Key Debates Transforming Healthcare and Life Sciences in 2026", featuring stylized illustrations of a medicine bottle, a pill, a microscope, and a DNA helix on a blue background.

Key Debates Transforming Technology, Media, and Telecom in 2026

In this report, we harness broker research, Tegus Expert Insights, and company commentary in AlphaSense to explore how the debates below are shaping the technology, media, and telecom landscape in 2026.
Blue line art illustration with the title "Key Debates Transforming Technology, Media, and Telecom in 2026," featuring a CPU, server rack, and an airplane.

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