Lightspeed & Grafana Labs: A Two-Time Investment Story

Understanding Founder Fundraising Experiences

Frequently, founders are limited to their own fundraising journeys and lack insight into the experiences of their peers. Today’s Extra Crunch Live session aims to address this gap in knowledge.

Grafana Labs’ Funding Journey

Since its inception in 2014, Grafana Labs has secured over $75 million in funding. Lightspeed Venture Partners, specifically partner Gaurav Gupta, spearheaded both the startup’s Series A and Series B investment rounds. This represents a substantial level of commitment from a leading venture capital firm.

The Extra Crunch Live Format

The revamped Extra Crunch Live format connects founders with the investors who initially backed their ventures. Discussions will center on the deal-making process, from initial meetings to key conversations – including any points of contention – and the ongoing investor-founder relationship.

Furthermore, the original pitch decks that secured funding may be examined during the session.

Audience Pitch Deck Reviews

Following the founder-investor discussion, the spotlight shifts to the audience. The featured founder and investor (in this instance, Grafana Labs CEO Raj Dutt and LVP’s Gaurav Gupta) will provide feedback on submitted pitch decks. (Pitch decks can be submitted for review here.)

Event Schedule and Frequency

Each hour-long episode is framed by two 30-minute networking sessions. The event runs from 11:30 a.m. PST/2:30 p.m. EST to 1:30 p.m. PST/4:30 p.m. EST. Extra Crunch Live will be held weekly, featuring a new set of speakers each time.

Introducing Gupta and Dutt

Let’s delve deeper into the backgrounds of Gupta and Dutt.

Gaurav Gupta’s Background

Prior to his role as an investor, Gupta cultivated a successful career in product development. He held leadership positions at companies including Elastic, Splunk, Google, Gateway, and the McKenna Group. He joined Lightspeed in 2019 as a partner, concentrating on enterprise software investments.

His investment portfolio includes Impira, Blameless, Hasura, Panther, and, notably, Grafana. He currently serves on the boards of the latter three companies.

Raj Dutt’s Entrepreneurial History

Dutt is the co-founder and CEO of Grafana Labs, but this isn’t his first venture into entrepreneurship. He previously founded and led Voxel, a cloud-hosting startup acquired by Internap for $30 million in 2012.

Exclusive Access for Extra Crunch Members

We are delighted to welcome Gupta and Dutt to the inaugural Extra Crunch Live episode of 2021. Please note that Extra Crunch Live is exclusively available to Extra Crunch members. Each week brings a new speaker pairing, and all sessions are available on-demand for those unable to attend live.

The subscription provides access to premium content, such as market maps and investor surveys, making it a valuable investment. Consider subscribing – you won’t be disappointed.

Upcoming Extra Crunch Live Speakers

Here’s a preview of future speakers scheduled for Extra Crunch Live:

• Aydin Senkut (Felicis) + Kevin Busque (Guideline) — February 10
• Steve Loughlin (Accel) + Jason Boehmig (Ironclad) — February 17
• Matt Harris (Bain Capital Ventures) + Isaac Oates (Justworks) — February 24

This is only the schedule for February!

Registration Details

Complete event details and registration information are available below. We look forward to your participation!

• Gaurav Gupta (Lightspeed Venture Partners) + Raj Dutt (Grafana Labs) – February 3, 12 p.m. PST/3 p.m. EST
• Aydin Senkut (Felicis Ventures) + Kevin Busque (Guideline) – February 10, 12 p.m. PST/3 p.m. EST
• Steve Loughlin (Accel) + Jason Boehmig (Ironclad) – February 17, 12 p.m. PST/3 p.m. EST
• Matt Harris (Bain Capital) + Isaac Oates (Justworks) – February 24, 12 p.m. PST/3 p.m. EST