Webinar
Bascom X-Energy/Nuclear Deep Dive
Join Alumni Ventures’ Keaton Nankivil for a deep dive into Bascom Ventures — the firm’s University of Wisconsin–Madison fund — and how privileged access to one of the country’s most prolific research and innovation ecosystems translates into a differentiated venture portfolio for accredited investors.
In this session, Keaton Nankivil will walk through the Bascom Ventures thesis and how the fund leverages its connection to the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the broader Badger network to source, evaluate, and back exceptional founders. Keaton will share how the team thinks about deal flow, the specific advantages a university-connected fund brings to early-stage diligence, and what makes the UW-Madison ecosystem a uniquely durable source of venture-quality companies.
The conversation will go beyond the high-level thesis to examine real portfolio examples, the diligence frameworks behind those decisions, and the categories where Bascom is sharpening conviction today. Drawing on Alumni Ventures’ vantage point as one of the most active venture investors in the country, the discussion will ground each example in actual decision-making — what the team saw early, how they evaluated the founder and market, and why each opportunity earned capital.
Whether you’re a Wisconsin alum looking to back the next generation of Badger founders, or an accredited investor evaluating university-connected venture for the first time, this session will give you a clear, current view of how Bascom Ventures is constructed and where the fund is heading next. Register to hear directly from the team building this portfolio.
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Why Attend?
- HomeDiscover how Bascom Ventures translates privileged access to the University of Wisconsin–Madison ecosystem into a differentiated venture portfolio
- HomeUnderstand the team's diligence frameworks and what makes the Badger network a durable source of venture-quality companies
- HomeHear what Keaton is seeing across recent portfolio activity and where Bascom is sharpening conviction next
Rated a Top 20 VC Firm by both TIME and CB Insights.
Alumni Ventures is America’s largest venture capital firm for individual investors.
About your presenter
Keaton has spent his career focused on high-level teamwork. A proud Wisconsin Basketball alumnus, he started his career playing professional basketball in Europe. He played for and led teams in competitions across Europe, including stops in Germany, Spain, Latvia and Italy. When he returned from overseas, his career focus shifted to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. He has worked with both institutional and corporate venture teams and completed and MBA with a focus on entrepreneurship. He holds a BS in kinesiology from UW-Madison and an MBA from the Nicholas Center for Corporate Finance and Investment Banking from the Wisconsin School of Business.