| Evidence | Observation and period | What it represents | What it doesn't prove |
|---|---|---|---|
| US venture capital deal value | $515.8bn invested through Q3 2026 PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026 | Broader US venture market capital deployment | Spending on founder advisers |
| Q3 US VC activity | $98.4bn in Q3 across estimated 5,012 deals, PitchBook-NVCA Q3 2026 PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026 | All relevant reported VC deals in that quarter | Number of founders buying advisory reviews |
| AI's VC deal-value share | 82.7% of US VC deal value through Sep 2026, NVCA PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026 | Capital concentration in AI | Probability of ordinary seed financing |
| VC fund capital raised | $108.5bn in US VC fund commitments through Q3 2026 PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026 | Supply-side venture fundraising | Funds immediately available to any one startup |
| Large-fund fundraising share | Funds $500m+ captured 78.1% of capital yet were 6.0% of funds closed through Q3 2026 PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, Q3 2026 | Fundraising concentration | Pricing trend for independent strategists |
| Global coaching workforce | 122,974 practitioner estimate in 2025 ICF study, up 15% since 2023 2025 ICF Global Coaching Study | Global adjacent profession, survey-based | US founder decision adviser headcount |
| Global coaching revenue | $5.34bn estimated annual revenue, 2025 study 2025 ICF Global Coaching Study | Worldwide coaching activity | US founder decision advisory spend |
| 2025 coach study responses | 10,035 valid responses from 127 countries, Feb–Apr 2025 fieldwork 2025 ICF Global Coaching Study | Study survey context | Representative buyer-side founder interviews |
| US business formation update | Census released Sept 2026 monthly data on 14 Oct 2026 US Census: September 2026 Business Formation Statistics release | Broad new business applications and formation series | Count of venture-backed 2–50-person companies |
| Management analyst pay | $101,860 US median annual wage in May 2025, BLS Management Analysts — Bureau of Labor Statistics | Broad occupation employment compensation | Consulting fee or adviser package rate |
Interpretation: US VC volume gives a backdrop of large, heterogeneous financing decisions. ICF establishes that coaching is a substantial adjacent supply market. Neither reveals a reliable founder decision-advice purchase rate. Census business applications are far broader than the target venture-funded cohort.