Front Row Ventures

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 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.

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.

Since its founding in 2014, Campus Founders Fund has invested exclusively in students from local Utah universities. We’re excited to announce that CFF is now investing across all campuses in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. We typically invest $10-50k in startups that show strong potential to help them get off the ground and reach meaningful milestones. To date, we have deployed over $600,000 across more than 35 university-based startups, which have gone on to over $80M in additional funding. Investing in studentsNETWORK: Building your network from scratch as a student can be tough. CFF is a safe and supportive way to get introduced to the world of venture capital. CAPITAL: The friendliest money, you’ll ever raise. We invest $10-50k in student-run businesses on an uncapped SAFE or we can participate in the syndicate of a priced round. FEEDBACK: Does your business have potential? How should you grow? How strong is your team? As an early founder, you’ve got questions and CFF has answers. Who makes investment decisions? CFF's investment team makes all decisions throughout the process, including investment decisions. Although the Kickstart team provides financial backing and ongoing training and coaching, Kickstart is not involved in the day-to-day operations or investment decisions of the fund. The students on the CFF team source, analyze, and execute all of the fund's deals. Why is Kickstart doing this? Since its inception in 2008 as the first and most active seed fund in Utah, Kickstart has always taken the long view, betting big on Utah’s ecosystem. As products of Utah’s educational system, Kickstart's team members have personally benefited from the institutions, networks, and opportunities that allowed them to develop their passion and abilities for entrepreneurship, innovation, and seed funding. They want young talent in Utah to have the resources and relationships to dream big and attack global opportunities and believe Campus Founders Fund can be a vehicle that develops the next generation of game-changing entrepreneurs and smart venture capitalists.

As part of a top three public university for raising capital, we have backed more than 125 companies that have brought in more than $2.7 billion in outside capital. Founded in 2000, Illinois Ventures is one of the largest and longest-running university-based venture firms in the country. Other firms have watched us work for decades, but our approach remains unique in two ways. First, we invest early with a connection to the University of Illinois family. From student competitions to venture-stage enterprises, we work closely with founders to navigate challenges and seize the moment. We don’t just write checks. We forge lasting relationships built on trust, collaboration, and share success. Second, we leverage an incredible ecosystem of founders, mentors, researchers, experts, and students. The thousands of people in this ecosystem are dedicated, ready to help, and exceptionally talented. Illinois Ventures is constantly building upon the University of Illinois’ innovative legacy. Regardless of which campus you call home, Illinois Ventures staff members are always available to speak with prospective founders or meet up for a coffee.