How many users to raise B2C pre-seed in CEE?
Often none. Across the consumer startups that applied to BADideas, a third had no users yet, and those that had launched typically reported 1,000 registered users.
What "users" means here
Founders use the word for very different things. This page keeps them apart:
| Kind of user | What it means |
|---|---|
| Waitlist | People who signed up before the product launched |
| Registered | People who created an account, installed the app or signed up after launch |
| Active | People using the product regularly, usually counted monthly |
| Paying | People paying for the product, one-off or by subscription |
The figures
| What consumer startups reported | Typical | Range for the middle half |
|---|---|---|
| No users yet (pre-launch) | A third of startups | |
| Waitlist, if pre-launch | 200 people | 50 to 2,000 |
| Registered users | 1,000 | 100 to 10,000 |
| Paying users, any at all | One in four launched startups |
A third of the consumer startups had not launched when they applied. Those with a waitlist typically had 200 people on it. Those that had launched typically reported 1,000 registered users, with the middle half between 100 and 10,000. In BADideas application data, only one in four launched consumer startups reported any paying users.
What is changing
Consumer startups are arriving further along. Among CEE consumer startups that applied to BADideas, the share that applied with no users yet fell from 28% in 2025 to 20% in 2026 so far. More founders now launch something, however small, before they raise. Their applications also confirm the typical count: CEE consumer applicants who reported registered users had a median of 1,000.
What it means for you
- You don't need a big user number to raise pre-seed. Many consumer startups raise before launch or with a few hundred users. What the round pays for is finding out whether people stay and pay.
- Say which kind of users you mean. "10,000 users" means little if they are sign-ups from one post. Investors will ask how many are active, and how many pay. Give those numbers first.
- A small number of paying or returning users beats a large number of sign-ups. Three in four consumer startups that had launched had no paying users, so even a few dozen who pay, or come back every week, stands out.
Related questions
Can I raise pre-seed before my consumer app has launched?
Yes. A third of the consumer startups applying to BADideas had not launched. They showed a waitlist, test users or research instead.
Do I need paying users to raise pre-seed?
No. Only one in four launched consumer startups reported paying users. Paying users make your case much stronger, but they are not the norm at this stage.
What counts as a user?
Anyone who uses the product, but always say which kind: waitlist, registered, active or paying. The table at the top of this page defines each.
How we measured it
- On this page: only consumer (B2C) startups, applying between May 2025 and July 2026; the change over time compares 2025 with 2026 to date. These are what founders reported, not verified figures, and not whether they went on to raise. Forecasts and targets are left out. Most were building their first version or had their first users. The ranges are rough, because founders count users in different ways. The trend uses later applications, which is why its shares (28%, 20%) are lower than the one third above.
- Updated: 26 September 2026.
BADideas.fund, "How many users to raise B2C pre-seed in CEE?", updated 26 September 2026. https://badideas.fund/answers/b2c-users-before-pre-seed-cee
Read next
- Can a consumer app raise money in CEE?
- Do CEE startups with revenue raise more?
- Do CEE startups use angels before pre-seed?
- Do CEE startups take grants before pre-seed?
Who we are
We are a pre-seed and seed fund for founders in Central and Eastern Europe. We have built and sold companies ourselves, and since 2022 we have backed more than 40.
We back founders who see something about their market that others do not see yet. They want to change how a whole industry works, and they start small.
Good founders rarely fail on the idea or the product. They fail on selling it. We give your company hands-on help from go-to-market operators who grew Zendesk, Square and Scale AI.