Monash Ventures

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.

The Notre Dame Pit Road Fund was launched in 2018 with the mission to serve early stage companies associated with the University. By investing in de-risked, promising technologies through the Engine Commercialization Process, the Fund injects capital into Notre Dame led and affiliated companies as they mature. In addition, the Fund connects founders to mentors, strategic partners, sophisticated investors and board members, leveraging their resources to build and scale the Fund’s portfolio companies. Philosophy & Investment Thesis Designed to unlock tremendous value both socially and economically, the Pit Road Fund aims to create the next great company by leveraging the discoveries of technical solutions made by the University and the Notre Dame ecosystem. Industry Agnostic Investing in Faculty Research, Student Founders, Staff, Alumni & the South Bend-Elkhart Regional Community Investing under Catholic Social Guidelines Pre-seed, Seed and Series A Investments

Kyoto University Innovation Capital Co., Ltd. was established in December 2014 with 100% investment from the National University Corporation, Kyoto University. It is a venture capital firm dedicated to investing in startup companies that leverage the advanced research achievements of national universities, including Kyoto University, a world-class research institution. Our goal is to contribute to the creation of next-generation industries. A statement from a certain researcher remains vivid in my memory: “While there have been startup companies utilizing research results that I poured my heart into, many of them were overseas companies, with very few examples of Japanese companies.” In recent years, expectations for university-based startups have increased, and the number of excellent startup companies utilizing university research achievements in Japan has also increased. Considering the level and depth of academic research in Japan, we believe there should be even more entrepreneurial opportunities (seeds) at universities. Therefore, our company not only focuses on “discovering investment opportunities” but also devotes itself to “supporting entrepreneurship based on university research seeds” and is committed to creating university-based startups. In January 2016, we established the Innovation Kyoto 2016 Investment Limited Partnership (1st Fund); with the support of business corporations, financial institutions, and private venture capital firms, we have been actively engaged in financing start-ups, creating carve-out ventures in collaborations with large companies and investing in overseas start-ups. With the establishment of the Innovation Kyoto 2021 Investment Limited Partnership (2nd Fund) in January 2021, it became possible to, under certain conditions, invest in startup companies originating from national universities other than Kyoto University. Through such investments, we aim to share the expertise we have cultivated and contribute to uplifting the overall ecosystem of university-based startups not only at Kyoto University but also at other national universities. However, carrying out these activities independently poses a challenge for our company. Therefore, we strongly feel that increased support from everyone is more necessary now than ever before. For this reason, we sincerely appreciate your continued guidance and encouragement.

Mila Ventures is building the Venture Scientist platform: an integrated venture-creation engine designed to translate frontier AI research into world-class companies - rooted in Canada, built for the world. Mila Ventures operates within Mila, a prestigious AI research institute based in Montréal, founded by Yoshua Bengio, one of the godfathers of modern artificial intelligence and a pioneer of deep learning. The platform brings together: Mila Venture Studio (co-creating companies with professors, students, and entrepreneurs) Mila Accelerator (early company building and scaling) Venture Scientist Academy (training researchers to become venture builders) The Mila Venture Fund (in formation) We operate at the intersection of AI research, venture creation, and capital, working closely with Mila's globally renowned researchers, students, founders, investors, corporate partners, and public institutions.

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.

Xenon University Partners is launching a $5M Seed fund to support US-led startups specializing in deep tech innovations, cultivating strategic partnerships with 30+ premier universities and research-centric institutions in the Northeast United States. What Is Xenon University Partners? Xenon University Partners is a traditional venture capital fund that specializes in investing in early stage startups founded by students, professors, and researchers focused on commercializing academic deep tech research. Our goal is to identify the most promising and disruptive ideas, and support these founders in building successful businesses that drive positive and meaningful impact in their respective industries. We believe in the power of diversity and inclusivity, and strive to create a more inclusive ecosystem for entrepreneurship and venture capital.