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Student-run evergreen fund supporting Brown-affiliated startups.
ABOUT US
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.
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An evergreen fund, VWV’s investment gains are invested back into the fund, ensuring that it remains a permanent supporter of Brown University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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VWV writes $25,000 to $50,000 checks, ordinarily following the terms of the lead investor or invested via a SAFE note with a cap and discount.
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Initial funding for Van Wickle Ventures was generously provided by Robert ’75 and Erna Place ’76.
Our Investment Thesis
Brown-Led
Scalability
Diversity
The Curriculum
Every new cohort of VWV analysts undergoes the VWV Curriculum—a semester-long introduction to early-stage VC, taught by the Co-Directors of the fund. In Spring 2023, we opened the course to the wider Brown community for the first time, through a Group Independent Study Project (GISP) approved by the College.
As an experiential learning course without prerequisites, the course advances VWV’s educational mission, democratizing access to VC.
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