Student-run evergreen fund supporting Brown-affiliated startups.

ABOUT US

Van Wickle Ventures is a student-run venture fund that invests across all stages in Brown affiliated companies. Inspired by the characteristically Brown spirit of innovation, VWV backs the university’s groundbreaking students, faculty, and alumni.

An evergreen fund, VWV’s investment gains are invested back into the fund, ensuring that it remains a permanent supporter of Brown University’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

VWV writes $25,000 to $50,000 checks, ordinarily following the terms of the lead investor or invested via a SAFE note with a cap and discount.

Initial funding for Van Wickle Ventures was generously provided by Robert ’75 and Erna Place ’76.

Our Investment Thesis

Brown-Led

Scalability

Diversity

The Curriculum

Every new cohort of VWV analysts undergoes the VWV Curriculum—a semester-long introduction to early-stage VC, taught by the Co-Directors of the fund. In Spring 2023, we opened the course to the wider Brown community for the first time, through a Group Independent Study Project (GISP) approved by the College.

As an experiential learning course without prerequisites, the course advances VWV’s educational mission, democratizing access to VC.