The Student Managed Venture Fund (SMVF) is an experiential learning course that covers the nuances of venture investing through interaction with firms and investors engaged in venture capital with the opportunity to co-invest with the partner.
In the course, you will meet with early-stage investors (Angels and VCs), perform due diligence on potential, real investment opportunities, present your findings to a panel of experts, and select a company for the SMVF to invest in.
The course runs each spring semester. It is a requirement for Master of Finance (MSF) students in the corporate finance and wealth and asset management tracks, and a recommended elective for MSF students in the general or financial analytics track.
Non-finance graduate students and senior undergraduate students from across campus who are interested in venture investing, entrepreneurship, or developing and launching new products are encouraged to apply to participate. Select junior undergraduate students will also be considered.
Join the SMVF Course
If you are interested in joining the next class, please send your resume including GPA, a list of relevant university level courses that you have successfully completed, and a personal statement explaining your interest in the course to smvf@purdue.edu.
Course Details
The experience consists of three phases: investor interviews, the shallow dive, and the deep dive.
“Students receive mentorship from professionals who spend time teaching them the science and art involved in investing in early stage, nonpublic companies across industries. One of the most memorable meetings that we had was with the CEO of Elevate Ventures, Christopher (Toph) Day, where he talked about the different funds within Elevate, their investment style, the rounds that they like to invest in, and what they look for in entrepreneurs.”
Varun Bali, MSF '22
Senior Analyst, Goldman Sachs
If you would like to receive more information about the MS Finance program at Purdue, please fill out the form and a program specialist will be in touch.
We also have availability to meet with you virtually to discuss how your goals align with our curriculum, community, student experiences and outcomes to determine if Purdue is the right fit for you!
