Kauffman Fellows & Techstars Re-Launch Venture Deals Course

Learn How to Raise Capital from the Experts

Kauffman Fellows
3 min readFeb 24, 2022

Exciting news: Kauffman Fellows and Techstars have just re-launched Venture Deals, a comprehensive educational experience aimed at introducing learners to the fundamentals of raising capital. Pre-enrollment for this FREE course is now officially open!

Venture Deals Spring 2022 will begin on March 22 and the materials will be available for 6 weeks. The course is based on the book Venture Deals, written by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson, and was created with the goal of eliminating the massive information asymmetry between the entrepreneur and investor.

Venture Deals is a self-paced, “learn-by-doing”, online course that includes educational videos from diverse investors who provide real and raw advice, knowledge, and insight to raising venture capital. In this course, participants will learn the fundamentals of VC transactions, how to engage with investors, negotiating strategies, and much more.

Democratizing Access to Information & Insights on Fund Formation

Venture Deals participants will learn from experienced, diverse investors who not only teach some of the technical aspects of investing but also share best practices for individuals interested in entering the venture capital ecosystem.

Kauffman Fellows is proud to collaborate with Techstars to offer this course free of charge and support both aspiring investors and entrepreneurs alike in their learning journey around fundraising and investing in early-stage entrepreneurs. To date, over 40,000 participants have benefited from this FREE online course.

It’s our hope that after this course, you’ll have an understanding of how venture deals work and feel comfortable with various aspects of the transactions to work through the process and focus your energy in the right places.

All-Star Lineup Includes Kauffman Fellows as Course Instructors

Kauffman Fellows and Techstars have been running this free course together for 10 years now, and the re-launch this spring is especially exciting as it’s been shot with entirely new footage and features Brad Feld and Nicole Glaros of Techstars along with several Kauffman Fellows as course instructors:

“In this reboot, we wanted to bring a diverse set of experiences and bring you through all the different areas of the book, with stories, anecdotes, and individuals that are coming in and giving you their own unique perspective,” says Jeff Harbach, President & CEO of Kauffman Fellows.

Jaclyn Hester (KF Class 25) started her VC journey after practicing law, while Nicole Glaros (Techstars Chief Investment Officer) was a founder before she became a funder, and Elliott Robinson (KF Class 22) shares how a lot of his story is rooted in that of his dad’s story. “Truth be told, I don’t look like your average venture capitalist,” says Robinson. “Not only is that OK, but it’s my superpower.”

“We’re real investors who have thought hard about this, who are very focused on fundamentally demystifying the entire deal process,” says Brad Feld, Co-Founder of Techstars and Managing Director of Foundry Group.

Venture Deals Course Overview & New Additions to Curriculum

Whether you’re interested in entering the VC ecosystem or if you’re an entrepreneur looking for insight into the fundraising process and investor perspective, this course has you covered. It’s broken up into five key sections, two of which are a brand new addition to the original course.

In this re-booted course, participants will learn about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Venture Capital and Mental Wellness Strategies during the fundraising journey.

  • Capital Ecosystem
    - People Within the Venture Ecosystem
    - Investor Engagement and Best Practices
  • Preparing to Fundraise
    - Fundraising Options
    - Inside a Venture Capital Fund
    - Valuation
    - Cap Tables
  • The Deal
    - Term Sheet Overview and Economics
    - Term Sheet — Control Provisions
    - Term Sheets — Other Terms
    - Negotiating the Deal
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Venture Capital
  • Mental Wellness in Entrepreneurship

Enrollment IS NOW OPEN for the Venture Deals Spring 2022 course beginning March 22, 2022. Secure your spot today HERE!

Behind-the-Scenes: Brad Feld of Techstars(pictured left) with Jeff Harbach of Kauffman Fellows (pictured right) on set during the Venture Deals re-shoot

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Kauffman Fellows

Kauffman Fellows is the world’s premier venture education program with the largest and most connected network of VC investors.