Venture Capital Overview

Venture capital investing is no longer just for institutions. Alumni Ventures is designed to let you join forces with other accredited investors, access professional-grade investments, and diversify your portfolio beyond public markets.*

There are a number of smart reasons to consider adding venture capital (VC) to your investment mix. VC can play an important role in a sophisticated wealth-building strategy, yet it’s still missing from the majority of investors’ portfolios. If you’re one of the 10+ million accredited investors in the U.S., it is easier than ever to start investing in high-growth startups. In our conversations with potential investors, we’ve found that many misperceptions persist about VC investing. Here we’ll share with you the top three, with the goal of busting these myths once and for all.

Return potential plays a part in most individual and institutional investors’ decision criteria when reviewing investment options. But how does one compare the gains of asset classes that have different characteristics and measures of success?

Every day, our team speaks with hundreds of our community members who are interested in learning more about the venture capital asset class, and how Alumni Ventures Group can build them a smart, simple venture portfolio.

Venture capital can be an appropriate addition to an accredited investor’s portfolio for many reasons.

Investing in a startup can be exciting and rewarding. In this article, we examine different ways you can invest in early-stage companies — and which might be the best option for you. Along the way, we’ll define some common terms and concepts that investors in startups will likely encounter, like “pre-seed,” “seed,” and “angel investor.” We’ll also share insights from experts at Alumni Ventures about ways to approach seed investing and how they evaluate investment opportunities.

Are you looking to maximize returns while diversifying your portfolio? Consider the potential of venture capital. With a history of solid returns and valuable access to private companies, VC is becoming an increasingly attractive choice for investors who want to achieve their financial goals. Here are three reasons why it may be worth adding this asset class into your mix.

Slack, Pinterest, Zoom, Lyft, Uber. Which ones would you have chosen to back at the venture stage — and which at IPO?

Venture capital can be an appropriate addition to an accredited investor’s portfolio, in part due to the potential of VC to deliver higher returns than other investment opportunities.

Baby sea turtles are born into a dangerous world. Each clutch of about a hundred eggs will endure a never-ending gauntlet of hungry birds, deadly waves, and deep-sea predators. Only 2% of these young reptiles will ever make it to adulthood.

Alumni Ventures is a network-powered venture capital firm helping accredited individuals become more successful venture investors. CEO and founder Mike Collins leveraged his own experience and frustrations as a private venture investor as inspiration to start Alumni Ventures.

Oura, an Alumni Ventures portfolio company, is a Finland-based developer of a wellness ring and software application that tracks multiple body measurements, all designed to help the wearer get more restful sleep and perform better.

Alumni Ventures is one of the most active VC firms in the United States (PitchBook 2020 Global League Tables).

Now available in your Investor Portal, the Personalized News Feed is a custom and curated source of news on the portfolio companies that are in your various venture fund portfolios.

This guide explores how to invest in a self-directed IRA, the advantages, the benefits of choosing venture capital for your self-directed IRA, and how to enroll in a self-directed IRA through Alumni Ventures.

Thank you for joining Alumni Ventures! In this video, Chief Engagement Executive Mark Edwards and Vice President of Investor Relations Hilary Ncala discuss all things AV, so you have all the tools you need to begin your venture journey.

Hilary Ncala, VP of Investor Engagement at Alumni Ventures Group, outlines what investors can expect in the closing process.

During tax season, we understand you may have questions about your K-1s. Please see our frequently asked questions below.

AV’s investment strategy is to co-invest alongside established lead VC firms. At exit, we seek to monetize our position expeditiously. At times, there might be exceptions, which are addressed below.

The U.S. imposes various regulatory requirements on financial institutions and entities participating in the transfers of money as part of their businesses. As an investment advisor, Alumni Ventures is required to have anti-money laundering (“AML”) and know your customer (“KYC”) programs so that we do not facilitate money laundering — and can demonstrate that we have taken appropriate steps in that regard, including confirmation of customer identity.

Nearly all of our belongings hold value, from homes to vehicles, furniture to collectibles, etc. Factors like age, wear and tear, upgrades, and demand can impact the valuation of these objects, and their physical traits are helpful in determining their worth. On the other hand, it’s much more complex to put a price on the value of an intangible asset, such as the current and potential worth of a young, fast-growing startup.

Once you’ve established a public market portfolio, adding alternative assets can be an attractive next step. Here’s a guide to understanding “alts” and how you might start investing.

Of all the financial acronyms spinning around these days, SPACs are getting some of the most buzz. Standing for Special-Purpose Acquisition Company, a SPAC is a vehicle to take a company public.

An important part of being a venture capitalist is performing diligence on new investments. One of the most basic forms of diligence is a review of a company’s cap table.

What is Pattern Recognition? “Pattern recognition is an essential skill in venture capital… while the elements of success in the venture business do not repeat themselves precisely, they often rhyme. In evaluating companies, the successful VC will often see something that reminds them of patterns they have seen before.” — Bruce Dunlevie, General Partner at Benchmark Capital

Venture firms invested approximately $330 billion across 15,500 deals in 2021. With so many private companies raising capital, how do VCs sift out red flags and potential winners?

A prime example of AV’s value-add is our collaboration with Synthesis, an innovative learning experience created by the founder of a school for Elon Musk’s children. The program is designed to cultivate student voice, strategic thinking, and collaborative problem solving for kids ages 6 to 14.

We are pleased to work with a variety of entrepreneurs and venture firms. As strict co-investors, we only invest when we believe we can add meaningful value to you. We welcome inquiries if you have an investment opportunity or just want to get acquainted.

Alumni Ventures’ CEO Services team helps our portfolio companies take their next critical steps to success. We boost your business across our ecosystem of 600k+ community members comprising alumni and friends of the community from top U.S. universities (Harvard, Stanford, MIT, Yale, and others), leading VCs, experienced entrepreneurs, and C-suite executives from companies of all sizes and industries.

Alumni Ventures’ Bascom Ventures Fund is democratizing venture capital for the University of Wisconsin community and serving as a value-add investor to its portfolio companies.