Dorm Room Fund

We back founders who are aspiring to bring extraordinary products & companies to life. We’ve distilled decades of cross-disciplinary experience to save founders years of hard work & provide them necessary resources to scale. Startups at all stages can benefit from the intensity of RE program. For 6 months, it’s all startup, all the time. Everyone around you—us, the other founders in your batch, the alumni, the speakers, the investors—wants to help your startup succeed. In the ecosystem we have created, it’s hard not to be highly motivated. We believe that the kind of extraordinary motivation is what one needs to do something as difficult as starting a startup.

We leverage the Duke network to help: Our investors find innovative early-stage companies with great teams, and Our entrepreneurs find access to smart capital to fuel their growth. Our mission is to support the global Duke entrepreneurial community with an angel investing platform and co-investment fund (the Duke Innovation Fund) that engage and leverage the unparalleled Duke network. The strength of the Duke community across the world offers a uniquely powerful opportunity for networking and guidance from industry experts and successful entrepreneurial leaders. Duke Angel Network engages and matches experienced Duke alumni with portfolio companies to support their growth and success. Our members invest in companies in which a founder, executive, or board member is a Duke University alumnus, faculty member, staff member, student, or parent. They then work actively to connect their portfolio companies with the Duke network to foster collaboration and further success.

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.

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.

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.