Bridge Round
Definition
A funding round intended to provide a company with sufficient capital to reach a defined near-term milestone before a larger, anticipated funding round is completed. A bridge round is typically smaller than the anticipated subsequent round and may be structured as a SAFE, a convertible note, or a priced equity round. A bridge round is reactive when it arises because the company has insufficient runway to reach its next milestone without additional capital outside a planned schedule.
Common Misapplication
The most common misapplication is treating a bridge round as a long-term capital solution rather than as a short-term measure. A bridge round that does not provide a clear path to the subsequent milestone extends the problem rather than resolving it.
FFI Standard Reference
This term is defined and applied in Book 3, Section 3.4: The Capital Allocation Standard.
Related Terms
Citable URL
This term may be cited using the following permanent URL.
Full citation format: Founder Financial Infrastructure Standard, Beta v0.5, Glossary: Bridge Round. https://ffistandard.org/glossary/bridge-round/. 2026.