Your Window Into the Innovation Economy

Alumni Ventures has recently welcomed Lauren Kolodny as the newest member of our Board of Managers. Kolodny is an experienced venture capitalist and was an early collaborator, IC member, and investor in our Waterman Ventures fund (for the Brown community). We connected with Lauren to discuss her background, relationship with Alumni Ventures, and perspective on VC trends.

For many investors, venture capital is about pursuing investments that will provide outsized returns AND align their portfolios with their values or beliefs. Savvy investors know helping entrepreneurs bring about positive change in the world is not mutually exclusive with making smart investments. Many lucrative opportunities exist in spaces where underrepresented entrepreneurs are aiming to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues. It’s this thesis that drives Alumni Ventures’ Impact Fund — doing well and doing good. For an in-depth explanation of the fund and its outlook, we spoke with Alumni Ventures’ Chief Investment Officer Anton Simunovic.

Over the past decade, artificial intelligence and machine learning have rapidly become some of the most important — and lucrative — modern advancements in technology. From autonomous driving to natural language processing and predictive modeling, AI has become a crucial component of emerging technologies that are reshaping many industries and sectors. Demand for innovative AI tech is continuing to grow rapidly, with the global market value projected to reach nearly $300 billion by 2026. Alumni Ventures’ AI Fund is dedicated to AI and machine learning opportunities that have the potential to provide lucrative returns and redefine the boundaries of what’s possible with AI. We discussed our AI Fund, its thesis, and its outlook with Chief Investment Officer Anton Simunovic.

AVTV features Pacaso, a company making buying, owning, and selling a vacation home more accessible and affordable through 1/8th fractional ownership. AVTV videos feature Alumni Ventures’ portfolio companies sharing their stories and asks with our community.

Venture capital is a high-risk, high-reward asset class, which is especially true of pre-seed and seed investments. While failure rates are higher, valuations are lower, creating a greater opportunity for outsized returns. Our network-powered investing model allows us to access high-momentum seed opportunities and secure follow-on investments as companies continue to scale. See below for examples of seed startups from our portfolio who invited us to participate in additional financing rounds.¹

The Daily Upside recently interviewed Alumni Ventures’ CEO Mike Collins about the growing interest in venture investing and how Alumni Ventures is making VC widely accessible to accredited investors.

Starting a business is a highly rewarding but challenging feat. Managing cash flow, maintaining proper time management, and finding the best support and applicable funds are just a few of the many challenges facing entrepreneurs. However, with the proper help and guidance, new businesses can easily overcome these hurdles.

Renting can be an excellent option for those who want to avoid the price tag or permanency of homeownership. As of 2019, renters made up about 36% of the nation’s 122.8 million households. However, while renting offers many benefits, there is still the financial burden of expensive security deposits.