VC University ONLINE

Get practical training on venture finance for entrepreneurs, investors, attorneys, and anyone else interested in emerging company finance.

View Syllabus

What is VC University ONLINE?

VC University ONLINE is the definitive online course in venture finance. Participants will learn the nuts and bolts of venture and earn a certificate of completion. Course components include lectures, conversations with leading venture capitalists, interactive activities, and networking.

Self-paced, online course with live virtual office hours, webinars, and alumni network
8-week recommended schedule (access to course platform for 5 months)
Perfect for professionals new to venture capital and practitioners who want to reinforce their understanding of venture fundamentals!

Who should participate?

Anyone looking to unlock their venture finance skills, including entrepreneurs, angel investors, VCs, fund managers, attorneys and more.

Location

Online, self-paced. Complete the majority of the requirements (approx. 20 hours of content) on your own schedule.

Upcoming Dates

The scholarship application for the September 2021 cohort opens on Monday, June 7.

What to Expect

Features

Course Platform — Leverages UC Berkeley’s online course platform to provide a self-paced learning experience.
Lunch & Learn Webinars — Monthly live webinars with venture capital thought-leaders.
Office Hours — Weekly live virtual office hours with instructors, hosted during the first 8 weeks of the course.
Participant and Alumni Network — Students who earn their certificate gain access to the VC University LinkedIn group and Slack workspace.

Course Curriculum

The VC University ONLINE course consists of 5 modules. Each module consists of a mix of lectures, investor perspectives, exercises, and/or assessments:

Introduction to Venture Funds — Explores how venture funds are structured and managed.
Startup Fundamentals — Covers how venture-backed companies are formed, managed, and funded.
Introduction to Venture Deals — Addresses the terms, processes, and structures that drive venture financings.
Venture Deal Economics — Utilizes case studies and capitalization table exercises to illustrate the economics of venture finance.
Advanced Topics in Venture Capital — Examines issues like public policy, corporate venture, investor governance, venture capital careers, valuations, and more.

Impact

Stats at a Glance

VC University ONLINE sold-out cohorts since launch in 2019

960+

total participants

130+

full scholarships awarded

Scholarship

Scholarships are available by application for new or aspiring VC investors from historically underrepresented backgrounds. The scholarship application for the September cohort is open from June 7 -25. Learn more

Scholarship Sponsors

Tuition & Discounts

General tuition is $1,500 per participant.

UC Berkeley alums and NVCA members receive a 20% discount. Group rates are available. Only one discount may be applied, and codes cannot be retroactively applied. Contact vcuniversity@berkeley.edu for discount codes before registering.

Participant Testimonials

VCU was a life-changing experience for me. The program brought my knowledge, skills, and passion for the startup and investing ecosystem to the next level. With skills and insight obtained while attending VCU, I was able to advance my career and eventually get hired by one of my dream jobs. If you’re waiting to apply, stop hesitating! Jump in. This program is absolutely worth it.

Alex Medick

The course was a valuable learning experience because it challenged my thinking regarding venture capital finance principles. I have really improved my knowledge in this field. I like how it enabled me to interact with staff, fellow students, and our designated mentors, and the relationships I have maintained post-course have been invaluable. It has also given me the confidence to pursue opportunities in venture capital, which have already proved fruitful.

Loleta Robinson, MD, MBA

VC University drew on knowledge from a range of investors and lawyers to build a rigorous course on company formation and development. The curriculum balanced technical information with legal aspects of company formation (IP protection, fiduciary duties, etc.), and was complemented by lunch and learns with industry leaders. I was fortunate to take the course with a number of colleagues; going through the course with a team made it all the more fun!

Morgan Mahlock

VC University gave me the tools to understand venture and startup financing in a relatable way. As former Director of LatinSF, I worked with 100+ Latin American startups raising funds in the Bay Area. I had empirical knowledge of the process, but zero academic understanding. The legal, technical, and fund nuance info I needed were covered through the course curriculum plus the invaluable office hours and lunch sessions held by top-notch VC’s. They addressed my real industry questions I couldn’t find in podcasts or books.

Jolynn Vallejo

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Instructors and Guest Speakers

VC University incorporates lectures and interviews with faculty from UC Berkeley, executives from NVCA and Venture Forward, and leading venture capitalists.

Robert Bartlett

University of California, Berkeley - Professor

Jeff Clavier

Uncork Capital - Founder and Managing Partner

Neil Dugal

Omidyar Network - Senior Corporate Counsel

Jeff Farrah

National Venture Capital Association - General Counsel

Justin Field

National Venture Capital Association - Senior VP of Government Affairs

Joseph Floyd

Emergence Capital - General Partner

Bobby Franklin

National Venture Capital Association - President and CEO

Lili Gangas

Kapor Center - Chief Technology Community Officer

Jan Garfinkle

Arboretum Ventures - Founder and Managing Partner

Josh Greene

Mohr Davidow Ventures - VP, Corporate Development & Administration at Carbon 3D

Maryam Haque

Venture Forward - Executive Director

Charles Hudson

Precursor Ventures - Founder and Managing Partner

Maha Ibrahim

Canaan - General Partner

Scott James

Data Collective - General Counsel

Deborah Kang

Startup@BerkeleyLaw - Director

Dan Kidle

Arboretum Ventures - Principal

Amit Kumar

Accel - Partner

Scott Kupor

Andreessen Horowitz - Managing Partner

Kate Mitchell

Scale Venture Partners - Co-Founder and Partner

Patricia Nakache

Trinity Ventures - General Partner

Will Price

Next Frontier Capital - Founder and General Partner

Glenn Rieger

NewSpring Capital - General Partner

Charlotte Savercool

National Venture Capital Association - Director of Government Affairs

John Somorjai

Salesforce - Executive VP of Corporate Development and Salesforce Ventures

Adam Sterling

Berkeley Center for Law and Business - Executive Director

Lolita Taub

NextGen Venture Partners - Venture Partner

Related Programs

From UC Berkeley, NVCA, and Venture Forward

VC University LIVE – our three-day certificate program on venture finance, held in partnership with universities in emerging VC ecosystems across the country.
Venture Capital Symposium – a two-day conference from NVCA and Stanford focused on governance best practices
FORM+FUND – Startup@BerkeleyLaw’s live workshop series for Berkeley-affiliated founders.

From other organizations

Black Venture Institute – Access, insight, and community for Black operators looking to become angel and venture investors
Venture Deals Online Course – A free course from Kauffman Fellows and Techstars
Arlan’s Academy – Over 35+ hours of startup training with new courses added weekly.

Other Ways to Get Involved

If you’re interested in supporting VC University ONLINE as a scholarship sponsor, Lunch & Learn speaker, mentor, or in some other way, please contact vcuniversity@berkeley.edu.

Get Started

Take your venture career to the next level!