Soon, whether your startup will receive funding will no longer depend on VCs twice your age.
Instead, SMU’s Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE) and Kairos ASEAN will be putting that power in the hands of your peers.
New student-run venture capital fund Protégé Ventures plans to imbue undergraduates and postgraduates with “practical, real-life venture capital experience”.
As VCs, these students will be able to source, analyse and invest in ASEAN startups, as long as they have at least one student founder.
Selected startups will then receive $20,000 – $50,000 investment from these students along with supporting VCs, including Wavemaker Partners, Venturecraft, Marvelstone and TSR Partners.
SMU’s IIE will also provide support to these startups afterwards.
As shared by Gerard George, Dean of SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business,
“SMU is excited to partner with Kairos ASEAN on this innovative initiative. [It’ll] enable us to share SMU IIE’s knowledge with more students through the Kairos ASEAN network, and together bring more value to VCs and young entrepreneurs.”
Be A Student VC From September 2017
Protégé is searching for 15 students based in Singapore with a strong interest in the startup and venture capital ecosystem.
These students must also have sufficient networks and ability to source new investment deals. They will required to commit at least a year to Protégé Ventures.
Applications to join Protégé Ventures is open to August 31, interviews will commence in September, and training in October.
These 15 lucky individuals will undergo a 10-week programme with IIE-led workshops to acquire necessary skillsets. They will also get to attend Kairos industry and networking events, as well as receive mentorship from industry leaders.
For those not in the know, Kairos Society is an entrepreneurship community based in US that seeks to empower young pioneers of innovation.
A prestigious institution with the endorsement of both Bill Clinton and Sir Richard Branson, being able to leverage on their network will no doubt be able to open up many doors for these 15 students.
Even if you’re not interested in becoming a VC in the long run, getting the chance to integrate yourself into the Kairos network won’t hurt.
And in the future, student VC-turned-entrepreneurs will be better equipped to start up, now that they know how the people with the money think.
Applications to join Protégé Ventures as a VC is open to August 31, and interviews will commence in September. You can apply to be a student VC here.
Featured Image Credit: SMU
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