VC University

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

View the Syllabus

Presented by:

What is VC University?

VC University 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
10-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

General registration for Cohort 14 is now closed. Registration for Cohort 15 (February 2024) will open in December.

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 8-10 weeks of the course.
Complimentary PitchBook access for 3 months.
Participant and Alumni Network — Gain access to our VC University Slack workspace (for current and past cohorts), in addition to our VC University LinkedIn group that includes alumni from VC University and VC University LIVE.

Course Curriculum

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

Venture Fund Fundamentals — Explores how venture funds are structured and managed.
Startup Fundamentals — Covers how venture-backed companies are formed, managed, and funded.
Venture Deal Fundamentals — Addresses the terms, processes, and structures that drive venture financings.
Modeling Venture Deals — 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.

Program Dates

Cohort 14 (Sept. 2023)

June 12: Scholarship application opens
June 23: Deadline to apply for a scholarship
July 21: Scholarship recipients notified and response requested
July 24: General registration opens
Sept. 5, 2023: Cohort 14 of VC University begins
Jan. 31, 2024: Cohort 14 concludes

Cohort 15 (Feb. 2024)

Nov. 6: Scholarship application opens
Nov. 17: Deadline to apply for a scholarship
Dec. 15: Scholarship recipients notified and response requested
Dec. 18: General registration opens
Feb. 5, 2024: Cohort 15 of VC University begins
Jun. 28, 2024: Cohort 15 concludes

Impact

Stats at a Glance

VC University sold-out cohorts since launch in 2019

3300+

total participants

463

full scholarships awarded

Scholarship

Scholarships are available by application for new or aspiring VC investors from historically underrepresented backgrounds. The scholarship application for Cohort 15 (February 2024) will open in November. 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 [email protected] 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

1 of 4

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.

Sandip Agarwala

Blue Owl Capital - Managing Director

Vikram Bajaj

Foresite Capital - Managing Director

Robert Bartlett

University of California, Berkeley - Professor

Sarah Bhagat

Sofinnova Investments - General Partner

Jeff Clavier

Uncork Capital - Founder & Managing Partner

Nadia Dugal

Tome - Co-Founder

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 & CEO

Lili Gangas

Kapor Center - Chief Technology Community Officer

Jan Garfinkle

Arboretum Ventures - Founder & Managing Partner

Aziz Giliani

Mercury Fund - Managing Director

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

James Joaquin

Obvious Ventures - Co-Founder & Managing Director

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 & General Partner

Renata Quintini

Renegade Partners - Co-Founder & Managing Director

Glenn Rieger

NewSpring Capital - General Partner

Jordan Rigberg

Silicon Valley Bank - Vice President

Charlotte Savercool

National Venture Capital Association - Director of Government Affairs

John Somorjai

Salesforce - Executive VP of Corporate Development and Salesforce Ventures

Otello Stampacchia

Omega Funds - Managing Director

Adam Sterling

Berkeley Center for Law and Business - Executive Director

Santi Subotovsky