The Resource Guide is created by Grace Liu and Gabriella Velazquez
Updated on Janurary 8, 2022
71% of student entrepreneurs from the LaunchPad Survey (n=275) considered funding as one of the most important resources for entrepreneurial success; however, they ranked fundraising as the most challenging aspect of launching a business and the lack of funding as the biggest impediment for continuing to run the business after graduation (Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars, 2020). This guide introduces resources for student entrepreneurs to connect with potential investors.
Advice for Entrepreneurs from a Leading Venture Capitalist (Harvard Business Review)
Scott Kupor, managing partner at Andreessen Horowitz, author of the book “Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It.” outlines what he and his partners look for in founding teams and business ideas and explains how start-ups work with VCs to become successful companies. He also discusses how Silicon Valley can do a better job of finding more diverse talent and funding new types of ventures.
How to Get Meetings with Investors and Raise Money (Y Combinator)
YC Partner Aaron Harris gives invaluable advice for how to most effectively and strategically meet with investors.
Mindset Startup Academy Investor Interview Series (Mindset Startup Academy)
Which features Maccabee’s Engagement Process Prior To Investment and many other investor interview clips via its Youtube Channel.
Investor Chat (A Sweden website: skanestartups.com/)
Search investors by their locations, preferred investment industries, and financing types. Our investor database contains more than 3,000 venture capital and private equity investors throughout the United States, Europe, Middle East, and Asia.
Angel Capital Association (ACA) Member Directory
Use this directory to find ACA members, which include angel groups and accredited platforms in addition to organizations affiliated with ACA. Link to each organization's website to learn more about the group, including investment preferences and processes.
Find crowdfunding platforms.
Opportunity Finance Network Fund Locator
Find Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) members which provide affordable loans to small businesses underserved by mainstream finance.
List of Startup Investors (SPD Load)
In order to greatly simplify the process of finding investors and mentors suitable for your startup, SPD Load has compiled a large list of business incubators and accelerators in the USA and Europe.
The following subscribed databases would allow you to do in-depth research on PE/VC investors and probably filter firms by industry, stage of investment, and geography, check if they are available at the academic or public libraries near you:
Preqin
Preqin is a private equity and venture capitalist database that provides coverage on investors, funds, fund performance, fund terms, portfolio companies, deals & exits, service providers, and more. Coverage includes over 9,000 investors, 33,000 funds, and 18,000 active firms. Within Preqin you can examine the company and fund profiles, gather analytics, and review performance data.
Pitchbook
Pitchbook includes information on venture capital and private equity companies, funds, limited partners, service providers, founders, investors, and buyers. In many cases, Pitchbook provides information about deals and funding.
Crunchbase
Crunchbase data covers private and public company investments, funding, people, M&A, and more worldwide.
CB Insights & Industry Analytics
Tracks global venture capital, angel investment, private equity, M&A, and IPO activity related to private companies. CB Insights offers industry financing and exit (M&A/IPO) trends for over 160 industries including high and clean technology and life sciences.
You can search Harvard Business Review to learn more articles on this topic. You can also check if your university library has a subscription to the Business Source Complete database, which provides full-text access to Harvard Business Review articles, or use the library’s interlibrary loan service to access the article.
Breaking Into Venture Capital As A Student (Medium.com)
How Venture Capitalists Make Decisions (Harvard Business Review)
What Angel Investors Value Most When Choosing What to Fund (Harvard Business Review)
Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars. (2020). Student Entrepreneurial Outlook 2020 Survey Report. https://www.blackstonelaunchpad.org/blog/student-entrepreneurial-outlook-2020-survey-report