Interested in Venture Capital?

Building on its proximity to Silicon Valley, the Haas School has developed a premier program that introduces students to the world of modern venture capital, together with opportunities to gain hands-on experience with representatives of top tier firms.

Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC). Sponsored by the Entrepreneurs Association. Pull together a team to compete in the Haas internal VCIC competition for a slot at the Western Regional Competition in February, with a chance at going to the Finals held at University of North Carolina in April. All MBAs are invited to participate.

Venture Capital Roundtable Dinner. Held in the Fall, the dinner brings together MBA students and venture capitalists in the Bay Area for a pleasant evening of dinner and conversation. Open to full time and evening/weekend MBA students. Advanced Technology Partners, Claremont Creek Ventures, Golding Capital Partners, HummerWinblad Venture Partners, Intel Capital, Mohr Davidow Ventures, and Sequoia Capital were just a few of the firms represented at the 2007 Roundtable.

Haas Venture Fellows Program. The New Venture Fellows program is designed to provide members of the full time MBA program with hands-on experience in the venture capital industry. New Venture Fellows will undertake unpaid project work with Bay Area Venture Capital firms, for which they may receive academic credit. They also lead the New Venture Pitch Lab, supporting the entrepreneurial endeavors of UC Berkeley community members, and participate in various networking opportunities with established venture capitalists.
The New Venture Fellows selection process is competitive. Approximately 3-5 fellows are selected from the first year class and 1-2 fellows are accepted from the second year.

UC Berkeley Business Plan Competition Judging and Sponsorship Committees. Work with the Business Plan Competition to raise funds and recruit judges from VC firms. Excellent networking opportunities are possible.

Lester Fellows Meetings. Meet with a Lester Fellow to discuss your business idea. Fellows are successful Bay Area company founders and venture capitalists who have been closely affiliated with the center for at least one year and serve as mentors to the Berkeley MBAs. Fellows are chosen not only for their entrepreneurial track record, but for their enduring commitment of time and energy to the Haas School.

UC Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forum. The Annual Venture Capital forum held at the beginning of the Fall semester attracts a significant number of interested parties: venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, students, faculty, and staff listen to a panel discuss the current status of the VC Market.

Stay Connected. Want to be informed about VC and Entrepreneurship events? Sign up for the Entrepreneurship at Haas on the Haas club network to automatically receive event emails.

Courses that support your interest in Venture Capital include:
MBA 294 Life as an Entrepreneur
MBA 295A Entrepreneurship& Innovation
MBA 295B Venture Capital & Private Equity
MBA 295D New Venture Finance
MBA 295G Investing in Entrepreneurial Opportunites: Building an Investment Screen, Methodology and Process
MBA 295C Opportunity Recognition: Technology & Entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley
MBA 231 Corporate Finance

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