Less than 1% of “startups” get any Venture Capital finance, which is very expensive anyway – demanding very high rates of return that can be self-defeating. True “unicorns” that such finance suits are as rare as, well, a unicorn!
Other startups need to pursue more realistic & less expensive sources of finance, with the best opportunities probably being through trading partners (suppliers & customers) & other stakeholders who already know & trust the startup, and so will demand lower returns on their lower perceived investment risk.
Financing opportunities may vary from early-stage trade sales to tailored, hybrid customer-investor packages that help boost sales & manage risk. See my papers on:
These are at my personal web page about stakeholder finance generally and particularly “Capitalist Co-ops”: http://davidthorp.net/economics/co-ops