Deming Center Venture Fund

Deming Center Venture Fund is a venture capital fund run by graduate students at the University of Colorado Boulder. It gives students practical training in venture investing while putting equity-style capital into young companies from Colorado and the CU Boulder community.

What Deming Center Venture Fund does

• Early-stage investment: funding for local startups in return for equity, convertible debt or a comparable security.
• Founder engagement: students meet entrepreneurs, run due diligence and present deals to an advisory board.
• Portfolio monitoring: the fund keeps analysing its investments after each deal closes, aiming to extend its own life.
• Venture education: a two-year, learn-by-doing programme for MBA, law and engineering students.

Who it works with

It backs early-stage ventures tied to Colorado or the CU Boulder community. Student members are recruited from MBA, JD and engineering programmes, and startups seeking capital are asked to share details of their round and a pitch deck.

Key facts

• Based in: Boulder, Colorado, at the University of Colorado Boulder
• Programme length: two years for student members
• Values: a stated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in venture practice