Definition
The information conveyed to the market by investor actions, such as who leads a round or whether insiders participate in follow-ons. In startup land, subtext is text.
Example Usage
When our Series A lead didn't participate in the Series B, the negative signaling spooked other investors and killed the round.
Origin
Economics theory from Michael Spence's work on market signals (1970s)
Fun Fact
Signaling is so powerful that VCs sometimes invest in follow-on rounds they don't believe in, just to avoid sending negative signals that would doom the company.
Source: Market microstructure and information economics
Related Terms
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See “signaling” in Corporate Speak, Gen-Z Slang, Pirate Speak, and more.
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