Fund Fundamentals is designed to help fund-curious participants determine if they are ready to launch their first alternative capital (VC or PE) fund. 

Applicants may come from a wide range of backgrounds, including but not limited to:

• Investment banking, hedge fund, or other finance roles

• Operator at a Venture Capital or Private Equity firm 

• Asset allocators such as family offices, institutional investors (universities, banks, pensions, etc), angel investing, or other direct investment experience. 

• Operator or founder at a startup that received venture capital or private equity investment. 

• Scientists, researchers, doctors, engineers, or other technical experts who are seeking to enter the innovation finance space 

• Professional fundraiser at a nonprofit or social enterprise 

• Other life and work experiences that provided insight into investing

NO. Applicants should be at the very early stages of launching a fund, such as:

• Curious about launching, but need to know more about the process

• Have started researching fund formation &  infrastructure (attorneys, SEC filing, etc.) 

• Established a firm but have not yet started fundraising

• Have started fundraising but not getting any traction

• Fund Fundamentals is not for applicants who have already reached a first close or have significant traction toward a first close. If this is you, please consider applying for our 2025 Fellowship program 

  • Interest form here https://www.vcinclude.com/fellowship-interest-form

• This inaugural program is specifically designed for women from diverse backgrounds who are interested in launching their first fund. If this is not your demographic, please sign up to receive updates on future offerings for other groups. 

Fund Fundamentals is designed to help you self-assess your readiness to launch a fund.

Program elements include but are not limited to:

• Discussions with industry experts who will share their insights and experience with launching successful funds, including those with similar lived experience to participants.

• Hands-on workshops to help you better understand what it takes (financially and otherwise) to launch a fund. 

• Assessment tools to determine if you are ready to launch a fund.

• A cohort of future fund managers who are curious about launching a fund, and are looking for a community of peers.

Fund Fundamentals is a 3-week program (two virtual, one in-person). 

The virtual program dates are: November 12, 13, 15, 18, 20, and 22, 2024

There will be an optional in-person session that will take place January 13-14, 2025 in New York City.

• Participants in the virtual program will self-assess to determine their readiness to launch a fund. 

• Those who choose to continue with starting a fund are invited to the two-day in-person workshop, which will be hands-on and provide more tactical deep-dives into fund formation and storytelling. 

Attendance at all 6 virtual sessions is mandatory by all accepted applicants. 

Attendance at the in-person session is not mandatory, but highly suggested for those participants who are ready to launch a fund.

• Pre-program reading and homework should take approximately 2-5 hours and is expected to be completed before the program begins on Nov 12, 2024. 

• Each virtual module will last approximately 2 hours, for a total of 12 hours over the two virtual weeks.

• Each module will also have approximately 1 hour of homework per session.

• The in-person sessions will take place on January 13-14, 2025 in New York City, starting with a dinner on January 13, and a full-day of programming on January 14th at Nasdaq.

• Total time commitment: 26 hours virtually, and 10 hours in-person.

Fund Fundamentals is a free program.

Participants who choose to attend the in-person sessions should plan to pay for their own travel and lodging (expected arrival in NYC on January 13, and departure on January 14). 

Travel scholarships are available on a limited basis with demonstrated need.

Application will be open: Tuesday October 1 - Monday October 14.

Applications will be reviewed and participants will be accepted on a rolling basis.

The final cohort will have 20-25 individuals. 

Round I: General application (30 questions)

• Applicants will be asked about their professional background, investment experience, and interest in launching a fund.

• Our team of evaluators will review and evaluate each application. 

  • Applicants should expect to hear from VCI within 2 weeks of submitting their application

  • All applicants will receive personal email correspondence notifying them of their application status 

  • Candidates who move from Round I forward are considered finalists

Round II: Finalist Review (October 7 - October 18)

• Applicants will be asked to submit additional information about their plans for a fund

• Each finalist will have a 15-minute video interview with the Fund Fundamentals program lead that will be recorded

  • Conversations will focus on: personal experience, goals for launching a fund, personal values and interests

Acceptance:

• The VCI team will evaluate all finalists and select a cohort of 20-25 participants.