FAQ — fresh.fund
Applications for Student Investors are now open
The new academic year has kicked off and fresh.fund is looking for the newest members of its investing team. For the chance of a lifetime, check out this application form.
The application is open until Dec 1st, 2017.
If you’re not sure what we are all about here at fresh.fund — this short FAQ should help.
General
1 — So.. what the f&%$ is fresh.fund?
fresh.fund is the first student-focused venture capital fund in Israel. In other words, we invest in the boldest and most creative companies founded by students, academics, and recent graduates.
To find the best opportunities — before anyone else — our team of experienced investors works hand in hand with a select group of passionate students from around the country, who scour their campuses in search of the most interesting and innovative technologies and startups.
Our main objective is to come in at a very early stage and help teams with the first steps of their incredible journey.
2 — Why Students?
Great ideas come from places where people dream. Where the boundaries of what’s possible blur with the excitement around the technologies of tomorrow. There’s one place on earth that has this in excess — University Campuses.
Many of the most world changing and successful companies of our time have be born on campuses — Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Warby Parker and many more. There is a reason for this. We’re here to find the next billion dollar Israeli company.
As investing analysts, students have an undeniable edge in their understanding of the market. In addition, since students are based in universities they have visibility towards many campus startups that would be inaccessible otherwise. We spend our days hanging out by the Computer Science watering holes. Always keeping an ear to the ground.
For more on this, see our related blog post.
Applications for Student Investors
1 — I’m in, how do I join the team?
You’re in luck! Our applications for the 2017–2018 team (it’s more of a family) are open till December 1st. Our application form can be found here.
2 — Wait, so as a student I can work on investments?
Yup! You got it. We do things a bit differently from most other VCs. At the core of our VC are our student analysts. After a rigorous application process, 15 of the best and brightest in Israel will join the team. If selected, you will be in charge of finding new startups, researching their technologies and financial viability and helping in setting the terms of the investment. I know — super cool, right?!
3 — Hold on a sec — what if I don’t know much about investing?
Don’t worry — we got you. fresh.fund is looking for passion above all else. If you live and breath tech and entrepreneurship — we have confidence that you can learn it all.
In fact, we’ve teamed up with Siftech to build the world’s first investor accelerator program. The first three months will be spent learning from industry leaders. More so, you’ll each be teamed up with a superstar investing mentor to help you grow and learn!
4 — What language will the program take place in?
The language used across the startup and investing world is English because of the international nature of the business. As such, all of fresh,fund’s communication and training program will take place in English. סליחה آسف :|
5 — Do I need to be a ״computer guy״? What if I study economics, science or design?
We’re looking for smart and talented students from a variety of backgrounds: computer science, economics, accounting, finance, engineering, marketing, medicine, biology, philosophy, art, pharmacology, math, chemistry — all are welcome! Our goal is to create an interdisciplinary group of students, with diverse skills, and from different professional and cultural backgrounds.
6 — I’m a grad student- can I still apply?
Yes! Anyone enrolled in a full-time academic framework — undergrad, grad, and phd — is welcome to apply.
7 — Will fresh.fund cost me anything or do I need to invest any of my own money?
Of course not. All we expect is that you take the opportunity seriously, attend the training program, and work hard to find and fund the coolest and most promising early stage startups in the country.
8 — Is there pay involved?
Participation in fresh.fund is voluntary. However, as a member of fresh.fund you will graduate with hands-on venture experience: you will be partnered with a mentor from the VC world and be connected to a national network of talented entrepreneurs and investors. It’s a great jumping board for a career in investing or at a startup.
The Investment Process
1 — What kind of investments does fresh.fund make?
We concentrate most of our energy on very early stage companies found in the university ecosystem (students, academics, and recent grads) and write an initial check of about $50k. We’re sector agnostic (but tend to focus on software, where a small investment can create high value) so come show us what you’re working on!
One of the advantages that we have as a fund is that our team comes from so many different faculties. We’ve got a Phd in neuroscience, designers, computer science nerds and lawyers to name a few. We bring fresh eyes and perspective to every investment opportunity!
2 — How do startups reach out for investment?
It’s super simple and takes less than five minutes. Check it out here.
3 — What does the investment process look like?
After the application has been submitted, we typically reply with a phone call or by email to make sure we understood what your team is working on and that we are on the same page. If all goes well, one of our student investors will set up a meeting with you and take it from there.
We live to help companies grow — no, really. And therefore, we want you guys to go back to building technology as fast as possible. Raising money is a drain on precious team resources. That’s why we are amongst the fastest capital in the game. If all goes well, it’s 6 weeks from pitch to pay.
4 — Where do you operate?
Our student investors can be found among you — strolling around the major Israeli campuses. We have team members at Hebrew University, Tel-Aviv University, Technion, Hadassah College, IDC. However, our investments are not limited to particular academic institutions — if you’ve got a great idea we’d love to hear about it.
