What valuation cap do founders in CEE ask for at pre-seed?
A typical cap is around €4.2 million. CEE founders raising pre-seed on a SAFE or convertible who applied to BADideas in 2025 and 2026 so far and stated a cap asked for a median of €4.2 million, with half between €2.3 million and €6 million. 65% asked for €5 million or less.
The figures
| Valuation cap asked, pre-seed, 2025 to 2026 (to date) | Bottom quarter up to | Median | Top quarter from |
|---|---|---|---|
| CEE | €2.3 million | €4.2 million | €6 million |
| All regions | €2.6 million | €4.3 million | €7 million |
In BADideas application data, the discount that comes with a cap is almost always 20%.
What is changing
Few founders state a cap, so the figures pool 2025 and 2026 and are not shown by quarter or country.
What it means for you
- Set the cap from your next round. The cap should leave room for the seed investor to pay more; work back from where you expect to raise next.
- Negotiate the cap, not the discount. The discount is standard; the cap decides your dilution.
- Keep caps consistent across angels. Different caps in one round cause friction at conversion.
- Model the conversion. Work out what share each angel ends up with at a range of seed prices before you agree a cap.
Also answers
Is a €5M cap normal for a pre-seed convertible in CEE?
Yes, it sits in the normal range: 65% of CEE founders who stated a pre-seed cap asked for €5 million or less.
What discount comes with a valuation cap?
Almost always 20%. Founders rarely negotiate it; the cap is where the terms differ.
How we measured it
- Source: applications founders sent to BADideas, enriched with publicly available information where applicable.
- Limits: these are CEE only and early-stage companies.
- On this page: The cap is the valuation cap the founder asked for on a SAFE or convertible loan. Few founders state a cap, so the figures pool two years.
- Updated: 27 September 2026.
BADideas.fund, "What valuation cap do founders in CEE ask for at pre-seed?", updated 27 September 2026. https://badideas.fund/answers/valuation-cap-pre-seed-cee
Read next
- Equity, SAFE or convertible loan: how do founders in CEE raise pre-seed?
- What pre-money valuation do founders in CEE ask for?
- How much equity do founders in CEE sell at pre-seed and seed?
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