The Network Powered Co-Investor
Helping Entrepreneurs with Connections, Capital, and Customers
Our Co-Investor Promise
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Low friction
We don’t lead, renegotiate deals, or elbow anyone out. We move thoughtfully but quickly. - Home
No BS
We are radically transparent about our approval process and check size. - Home
Here to help — when asked
We know that entrepreneurs are beyond busy - and we leave you alone unless asked. If asked, we work hard to deliver.
A lot of investors speak about value add, but David and the team at Blue Ivy & Alumni Ventures actually provide value. In nearly every deal and with every entrepreneur that approaches me about raising money I share the not-so-secret weapon suggestion of Alumni Ventures.
Alumni Ventures is unique in that they have a large group of venture investors all over, representing all of the different alumni communities. It is such a great organization to have with us. The talents, the network, and honestly the investment power all comes under one umbrella which ends up being very helpful to us.
Green D Ventures has been a great partner through multiple rounds of fundraising. We’ve been excited to work with passionate Dartmouth alumni to build our business and appreciate all the support that they’ve given us as we’ve grown.
The Alumni Ventures team has been incredible to work with. The network has already helped by getting us access to potential partners and customers. They are a great value add investor with no strings attached, and I’ve recommended them as investors to other founders.
Having Alumni Ventures with us for this second round is a testament to their continued support of the alma mater ecosystem. Additionally, we are building upon the relationship with their CEO Services team because they are phenomenal to work with, especially with introductions to the alumni network.
From the start, Purple Arch Ventures was thoughtful and easy to work with, achieving the delicate balance of in-depth diligence and respect for a small startup team’s time. It has been a great partnership throughout our growth journey.
Over the years, the team at Yard Ventures have been easy to work with, uniquely helpful when called upon, and increasingly supportive as our company has grown.
When I was raising our seed round, a very well known founder friend of mine said “Do you know Bascom Ventures? The whole Alumni Ventures group are seriously one of the most value-add investors I’ve ever seen." There is no better reference you can get than from another founder.
A lot of investors speak about value add, but David and the team at Blue Ivy & Alumni Ventures actually provide value. In nearly every deal and with every entrepreneur that approaches me about raising money I share the not-so-secret weapon suggestion of Alumni Ventures.
Alumni Ventures is unique in that they have a large group of venture investors all over, representing all of the different alumni communities. It is such a great organization to have with us. The talents, the network, and honestly the investment power all comes under one umbrella which ends up being very helpful to us.
See testimonial policy below.
How We Help: CEO Services
Our community can help you build your company.
- CEO Club
CEO Club
Alumni Ventures has backed almost 700+ founders. We know being a venture CEO has unique challenges. So, we’ve created a safe and exclusive space for our CEOs to network, share, and support each other.
- Opening Doors
Opening Doors
Opening Doors generates warm contacts to help you build your business. This could range from business partnerships and customers to industry experts and talent.
- Test Drive
Test Drive
Want to practice your investment pitch? Need advice from a fresh set of unbiased but experienced eyes? Just ask, and we’ll set you up.
- AVTV
AVTV
We work with you to create a 5-minute video that consists of your elevator pitch and any ask. We then produce this for you, and distribute it out to our community.
- Spaces
Spaces
Need a place to work and recharge? We have offices in five major US venture hubs. Come by and use an office for the day, grab a coffee, prepare a presentation, and meet the AV team.
- Cat
Cat
a small domesticated carnivorous mammal with soft fur, a short snout, and retractable claws. It is widely kept as a pet or for catching mice, and many breeds have been developed.
- Bird
Bird
a warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrate distinguished by the possession of feathers, wings, and a beak and (typically) by being able to fly.
- Dog
Dog
a domesticated carnivorous mammal that typically has a long snout, an acute sense of smell, nonretractable claws, and a barking, howling, or whining voice.
- Lion
Lion
a large tawny-colored cat that lives in prides, found in Africa and northwestern India. The male has a flowing shaggy mane and takes little part in hunting, which is done cooperatively by the females.
- Dino
Dino
a fossil reptile of the Mesozoic era, in many species reaching an enormous size.
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Interested Entrepreneur
Are you raising capital or want to refer a company?
Tell us more about your company and the round you are raising by filling out the fields below. Once you submit your information, we will review the details. If the opportunity fits our investment model and our current portfolio needs, then one of our investment teams will reach out to schedule a call.
Get to Know Us
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Human
Yes, we are a bit nerdy and love talking shop. But we are also relatable, interesting, “I’d have a beer with them” people who are happy to answer questions or just chat. - Home
Experienced
Our team has hundreds of years combined experience in accessing promising venture deals. - Home
Transparent
We’ll be open and honest with you. Ask us anything. At the bottom of the page there are 7 very good questions we get asked a lot.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ
We are network powered, with a community of more than 550K subscribers and supporters. Beyond capital, we leverage our community to provide our portfolio companies with helpful connections, customers, and other robust CEO Services, including:
CEO Club: This private, safe space is exclusively for Alumni Ventures CEOs to learn from and network among the ~700 founders and CEOs we’ve backed.
Opening Doors: We offer an unparalleled network of more than 550K alumni, investors, and experts to move your business forward. While there are no guarantees, we believe we’re one-degree of separation away from anyone you may want to connect with.
Test Drive: Privately discuss your pitch with a panel of trusted experts who can help refine your presentation, evaluate your growth plan, and optimize your fundraising strategy.
AVTV: We will help you prep a 5-minute introduction on your company and then share it with our network of 550K+ community members. It’s a chance to present your story and make an ask of AV’s supportive audience.
Spaces: Need a working space for the day, some informal venture or operating advice, or maybe just a good cup of coffee? Use on of our six offices, all conveniently located in major venture hubs, with more to come.
We invest in companies at all stages—from pre-seed to pre-IPO—across all regions, and in (almost) all sectors. Our check size ranges from $100K to $10M with a sweet spot of $1M – $3M.
Beyond promising investments led by elite teams, we’re drawn to opportunities where we believe we can help. Often there is a strong alumni connection to one or more of our 18 Alumni Funds where we can catalyze company-building flywheels with our alumni communities.
We also have Focused Funds. Some invest by sector (AI, Blockchain, Deep Tech, Healthtech, etc.), others by stage (Seed and Growth), and others by theme (Impact).
It’s important to know that we are strictly a co-investor. We don’t sit on boards or set terms. We do try to be as helpful as we can.
No, but it helps if an executive on your team, board, your lead VC, or other friends of the company have an alumni connection. We’re called Alumni Ventures, but our goal is to back the best entrepreneurs wherever or not they went to one of our focus schools.
We know raising a round is a pain, so we run a fast, low-friction, but disciplined investment process. And because we know what we’re looking for, we offer crisp execution from our initial investment to potential downstream rounds as your business grows. Please check in with other entrepreneurs we’ve backed. You’ll find that we’ve never missed a round because we couldn’t move fast enough.
We’d love to hear from you. You can reach us at [email protected]. We welcome building relationships for the long term, but note that we can only commit to your round after you have secured a lead VC.
There are a number of ways to get involved, even if you’re not raising a round.
- Join our expert community and advise one of our portfolio companies.
- Sign up for one or more of our newsletters by pressing the purple “Get Started” button.
- Want to refer or help vet or refer an investment opportunity? Reach out here.
- Or you can refer talent to one of our portfolio companies or to Alumni Ventures itself. Check our job boards here.