Catalyst Labs

We designed a unique VC model to serve student-founders. Wonder why? Student-entrepreneurs see the world through a unique lens. They are the most exposed to cutting-edge technology, innovations, and societal change. That’s why game-changing companies are consistently emerging from universities: Snapchat, Facebook, and Figma to list a few. Some people will argue you need 3 years of experience to start a company. They are wrong. With enough hard work and perseverance, you can start building a startup that will have an impact, today. If 25% of US-based unicorns are started at university, why couldn’t this be the same in the UK & EU? That’s why we exist, to select, support, and invest in high-potential founders. 10-100k investment: We know that small investments can make big differences. We help you get your product off the ground and set up your company. 12 weeks of intense support: We have our yearly accelerators, and hackathons. There’s no magic recipe but there some things you should know…We help you build your team, quickly test your ideas and create your company on solid ground. 80+ exports & mentors: A network is key when creating a successful company. We are building Initiator with the help of incredible experts, entrepreneurs and investors. Our network becomes yours.

We started Rough Draft Ventures because we have faith in student founders. We bet on them early and commit to them long-term. We take pride in helping them iterate on rough drafts to build enduring, impactful companies. We invest checks through founder-friendly SAFEs via our network of student fellows, supplying the brightest student founders across the US with meaningful resources, access to education, and one of their earliest support systems. Rough Draft 101Stage: We focus on Pre-Seed and Seed investments, with checks between $100-$150k. Have an idea? It’s never too early to pitch us! Industry: We’re industry-agnostic, and we all have different interests and specialties. Don’t hesitate to apply. Location: For now, we focus on US-based companies (incorporated as a C-Corp in Delaware). Strategy: We strive to be students’ first checks and are committed to being partners in their entrepreneurial journeys. We back ambitious, bold, curious, and energetic teams with a strong bias to action and ability to follow through. Inclusion: We are committed to sourcing and working with diverse founders and funders. No matter where you come from, what you study, or how you identify, we want to hear from you. Cold applications are welcome and, in fact, encouraged. Why Choose RDV: We are committed to sourcing and working with diverse founders and funders. No matter where you come from, what you study, or how you identify. Our Community The RDV community is comprised of world-class founders, operators, and investors who have all been in your shoes. Our passion is unlocking your entrepreneurial journey, and we’re here to give you everything you need to grow.

Strand Ventures. provides early-stage funding, mentorship, and a powerful network to student-led startups across the UK. Traditional venture capital firms rarely invest in founders at the idea stage. We bridge that gap by providing student entrepreneurs the capital and resources they need to launch and scale their ventures. Our approach is built on three core pillars: Capital – Early-stage funding to support product development and market entry. Network – Access to investors, mentors, and advisors across multiple industries. Community – A structured support system that connects student entrepreneurs with like-minded peers. Connecting Universities and Venture Capital. Strand Ventures. is built on a university-driven ecosystem, leveraging talent from King’s College London, LSE, UCL, and Imperial. Our deep connections with academic institutions, alumni investors, and industry partners give student founders unparalleled access to funding and mentorship. How We Help Startups. Funding – We provide pre-seed capital to help founders develop and validate their ideas. Mentorship – Our network of investors, alumni, and entrepreneurs guides founders through the early challenges of building a company. Network – We connect student startups with investors, accelerators, and strategic partners to help them scale. What kind of founders are we looking for? We invest in students with bold ideas and the expertise to execute them. Whether you have deep industry knowledge but need help developing your idea, or a well-developed concept but require guidance in execution, we provide the funding and support to turn potential into success. Strand Ventures backs student founders at the earliest stages, focusing on individuals with either: Deep expertise in their field, looking to build a business around their knowledge. A well-developed idea, but needing resources, mentorship, and funding to bring it to life. We don’t just invest in businesses - we invest in people with the vision, resilience, and drive to build something transformative. Why Partner With Strand Ventures? Student founders are shaping the future of innovation. By investing with Strand Ventures., you gain: Early access to promising university startups. Curated deal flow from top UK universities. A long-term impact on the startup ecosystem.

Van Wickle Ventures is a student-run venture fund that invests across all stages in Brown-affiliated companies. Inspired by the characteristically Brown spirit of innovation, VWV backs the university’s groundbreaking students, faculty, and alumni.

We help student founders build the future. Building a company as a student is really, really, hard. We’re here to support you by arming you with a powerful investor network, world-class mentors, and capital to help you move faster. The backstory In 2012, Josh Kopelman, the founder of First Round Capital, had a spicy idea. What if we brought together a group of all-start aspiring VCs and startup operators– who happened to be students– and asked them to seek out the best student founders building the next wave of great companies? They’d know better than the suits which of their friends, classmates, teammates, and lab partners were still in stealth building the next incredible thing, and who’s just chasing clout. Thus, Dorm Room Fund was born. And it turns out we were on to something. Since then, DRF has invested in over 300 companies led by visionary student founders. Those founders have redefined industries, gone public, and are changing the world. And our student investment partners are investors at world-class funds, operators at hot startups and FAANG companies, and unicorn founders themselves. In 2021, Dorm Room Fund started investing out of our first independent fund, backed by a collection of some of the best funds, VCs, institutional investors, and many of our alumni. Having graduated from our amazing launchpad at First Round Capital, we are honored to have brought more investors around the table to supercharge what we can do for our founders and community. With folks like Marc Andreesen and Chris Dixon, Bill Trenchard, Quiet Capital, Underscore VC, Garry Tan, Soraya Darabi, Charles Hudson, Susan Lyne, Hunter Walk, Insight’s Vision 2020 Fund, Plexo Capital, First Round, and many more around the table, we’ve 10xed what’s possible. We’ve hand-selected a team of founders, mentors, and investors who are sharing ideas, connections and experience– and who are committed to DRF founders. Here at DRF, we’re all in. Come join the party. Changing the face of venture Dorm Room Fund strives to be an industry leader in diversity, equity, and inclusion. And with nearly 80% of our alumni graduating to be either founders or VCs, we're in a powerful position to drive change. Whether through our summer programs, our student investing team, or the founders we back, we're committed to using DRF's launch pad to cement more people who identify as Black, Indigenous, LatinX, female, LGBTQ+, non-binary, and/or underepresented in VC squarely at the center of our industry. Programs We’ve created programs like the Blueprint Project and Female Founder Track to use our resources to help empower and create opportunity for underrepresented students. Learn more about the programs here.

S2S Ventures is a fully student-led VC fund from Switzerland, backed by some of the country's most successful entrepreneurs. We provide student founders with a first check to kickstart their startups and work closely with them to raise their pre-seed round. Our team mirrors the founders we support - students, aspiring investors, and entrepreneurs, eager to drive our fund to new heights.