Your Window Into the Innovation Economy

In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming returned from vacation to find that a petri dish of Staphylococcus cultures had been contaminated — an accident that led to the discovery of penicillin. Ninety years later, in 2018, Japanese scientists accidentally altered an enzyme and found it could break down plastic significantly faster. What connects these seemingly unrelated moments isn’t meticulous adherence to the scientific method. These “happy accidents” weren’t born from controlled, procedural experimentation. Instead, they reflect how scientific breakthroughs often emerge from veering off course, driven not by protocol, but by the curiosity, intuition, and creativity that define human discovery.

As AI and automation dominate tech headlines, a powerful countertrend is emerging: a growing demand for real-world, human-first experiences. Alumni Ventures’ Sports & Humans First Syndication Club backs entrepreneurs building platforms that foster community, identity, and embodied connection  —  not as a rejection of technology, but as its highest purpose. From wellness and skill-sharing to sports and third spaces, this fund invests in scalable, culture-driven solutions that enhance what makes us uniquely human.

WATCH NOW: An exclusive conversation with Alumni Venture’s Strategic Tech Fund and Matt White, Co-Founder of Multitude Insights

MANCHESTER, N.H., July 28, 2025 – Alumni Ventures (AV), one of the most active venture-capital firms in the United States, today announced that it has joined SEI Access™, SEI’s end-to-end digital marketplace for alternative investments, expanding the venture-capital options available to eligible RIAs and fiduciaries. The addition gives RIAs streamlined access to a professionally managed, highly diversified venture-capital portfolio within the same workflow they use for other private-market solutions.