Venture Capital: Investing in Early-Stage Startups

With hundreds of equity crowdfunding sites raising 3–4 billion dollars every year and the growing number of multi-billion dollar exits we are seeing in the news, the interest in generating outsized returns from startup investing has been continuously growing over the years.

Over the course of three days, the program provides an invaluable deep dive into both forms of startup financing — venture capital and angel investing — equipping current and aspiring startup investors with a process for evaluating and monitoring potential opportunities and the knowledge they need to lower risk and increase returns.

Participants go through the deal-flow process step by step to understand how to invest in startups. At the end of the program, participants receive an investor field guide they can use in real time to evaluate startups.

Impact
Participants gain a profound understanding of:

• Who the players are in early-stage investing and how to source best-in-class deal flow
• How to conduct diligence on a team, a business model, and a product
• The financial and governance terms that matter in a term sheet
• Startup valuation, venture math, and cap table watchouts
• What happens post investment and how to think about your investment portfolio strategy

Program Structure

The program is taught in a highly experiential manner. Participants learn the frameworks to drive investment decisions and then apply them to case examples. Next, learnings will be applied to real-world startups that are currently fundraising. Participants assess each company as if they were considering investing.

Participants also hear from a number of guest speakers, including leading venture capitalists and other experts in the ecosystem, to gain a varied perspective and assure they walk out of the program with a strong network of equally curious peers.

Participant Profile

The Venture Capital: Investing in Early-Stage Startups program is designed for:

• Aspiring venture capitalists or angel investors who want to understand how investors evaluate startups
• Founders who want to understand how early-stage investors evaluate startups
• Individuals interested in the startup landscape who want to better understand its language and players

Note: This program is not intended for those who want to deep dive into a particular sector or who are interested in later stages of venture investing.

Admissions Qualifications:

Successful candidates should have managerial experience and responsibilities matching a program’s “Who Should Attend” or “Participant Profile” description. All registrations are subject to approval by Columbia Business School.

LIVE ONLINE FORMAT

Fully virtual, highly interactive programs featuring small group work for a high-touch learning experience.
View the program schedule.