Are you an entrepreneur looking for funds in the digital economy? Raise and Rise offers a goldmine of in-depth knowledge about capital sources and tools for a modern startup featuring venture capital, crowdfunding (including blockchain-based), royalty financing, family offices and angel investors. Knitting together a vivid conversation with solid data, anecdotes, links, fun analyses and curious cases (Uber, Elio Motors, Spotify, and more), Dr. Victoria Silchenko goes beyond conventional narratives and unapologetically reveals the facts that might change your perspective on the best sources of startup financing. Her book takes you on a deep dive into the murky world of funding tools including those built on blockchain technology while providing a fundamental perspective about the digital economy along with a clear explanation of how modern finance works and how money is created. In an era when finding funding is the most important skill of all, this book asks and then answers big questions like these:•Why is obtaining funds for a startup so difficult when there is an abundance of finance available?•Why has Silicon Valley become the world’s most powerful startup hub?•How do venture capitalists make investment choices, and do I stand a chance?•What type of crowdfunding would make the most sense for my venture?•How do I raise funds if I don’t want to give up my equity?•What about alternative exit options?•Can I get funds via issuing my own cryptocurrency? •Why do I need to build a platform to make it big? •How do I make the most sizable impact with my venture? If you are puzzled about any of the above questions, you are in good hands. Based in Los Angeles, Dr. Silchenko is an economist-turned entrepreneur-turned educator who knows the entrepreneurial start-up struggle first-hand. The field of entrepreneurial venture financing in particular has been her research focus for almost two decades. Besides providing invaluable insights and solid advice about which capital sources might work best based on your particular story, the author makes a compelling case about why raising funding has turned out to be key and why obtaining funding for a startup keeps being remarkably difficult despite an abundance of finance available in the marketplace. The book is as helpful as it is unsettling, making you pause and reflect about the current financial system, who we like to worship, and the importance of building socially-impactful ventures, stressing that acquiring capital is not the purpose of a startup, just as breathing oxygen is not the purpose of human life