The Course

This course will demystify venture capital deals and startup financing to give both first-time and experienced entrepreneurs a definitive guide to secure funding. Taught by renowned venture capitalists Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson, partners at the Foundry Group and authors of Venture Deals, the course reveals the secrets behind how venture financings really work. Feld, a well-known speaker and author of several books in the Startup Revolution series published by John Wiley & Sons, began financing technology startups in the early 1990s, first as an angel and later as an institutional investor.

In this course, together with an international network of entrepreneurs, you will learn the best strategies for getting a fair deal. While learning, you will be making connections with your classmates that can help take your pitch or deal to the next level. Whether you're looking for financing for your venture, or looking to fund an entrepreneur, you'll get smarter about the process by taking Venture Deals.

In addition to professionals wanting to enter the venture capital field and entrepreneurs looking to raise venture capital funding, this course also benefits anyone who wants to learn more about financing, including lawyers, accountants, angel investors, bankers, policy makers, regulators and educators.

This course will enable you to:

• Network with entrepreneurs and financiers from around the world with whom you will work with on real projects​
• Get a firm grasp of how venture capital deals and other financings come together
• Find the right VC for your company
• Learn the strategies for getting the best deal possible
• Determine what’s negotiable and what’s not in a venture deal
• Structure financings using term sheets, capitalization tables, and syndication all with the goal of minimizing risks.

You will learn by doing in this online course. You will work in virtual teams and gain leadership and assessment skills you can apply to your own fundraising strategies for your business. Designed by experienced venture capitalists for new and professional entrepreneurs, the seven week curriculum will improve your ability to consummate a transaction in venture capital financing while avoiding common mistakes. Our team-based exercises allow for substantial interaction with other students and the opportunity to build a network of fellow entrepreneurs from around the world.

Check out course highlights »

More Information

This online class will be team oriented and practice based. Videos and readings reveal the players behind venture transactions; how VC funds work; how both VC’s and entrepreneurs can and should structure the deal, as well as what needs to be done post-investment. Much of your learning will take place as you work with your virtual teams to secure the best terms for a venture capital funding for your startup.

Workload: 4-6 hours / week

Statement of Accomplishment: Subject to satisfactory performance and course completion, you will receive a statement of accomplishment signed by the instructors.

The Instructors

Brad Feld

Co-Founder and Managing Director at Foundry Group

Brad has been an early stage investor and entrepreneur since 1987. Prior to co-founding Foundry Group, he co-founded Mobius Venture Capital and, prior to that, founded Intensity Ventures. Brad is also a co-founder of Techstars.

In addition to his investing efforts, Brad has been active with several non-profit organizations and currently is chair of the National Center for Women & Information Technology, co-chair of Startup Colorado, and on the board of UP Global. Brad speaks and writes extensively on the topics of venture capital investing and entrepreneurship. He has written several books including co-authoring Venture Deals.

Brad holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Management Science from MIT. Brad is also an avid art collector and long-distance runner. He has completed 23 marathons and hopes to finish a marathon in each of the 50 states.

Learn more about Brad's adventures in his blogs Feld Thoughts and Ask the VC.

Jason Mendelson

Co-Founder and Managing Director at Foundry Group

Jason is a co-founder of Foundry Group an early stage venture capital firm located in Boulder, Colorado. In his previous life, he has been a managing director at Mobius Venture Capital, a lawyer at Cooley LLP and a software engineer at Accenture. He also co-founded Shareholder Representative Services.

In addition to his investing career, Jason has co-written the book "Venture Deals" and is an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Law School where he teaches a course on venture capital. Jason is also the Chairman of the Entrepreneurial Board at Silicon Flatirons.

Jason holds a B.A. in Economics and a J.D. from the University of Michigan. In his spare time you can find him playing drums, guitar and singing in Legitimate Front, a Boulder-based 70's funk band.

Jason is also co-author of the blog Ask the VC. For a glimpse of Jason and Brad's unorthodox style, check out their music video I'm a VC.

Kauffman Fellows Academy

Kauffman Fellows Academy is the online training partner of the Kauffman Fellows Program, the world’s premiere venture capital training organization. Our mission is to be a catalyst for innovation worldwide through affordable, online access to the best in class education in venture capital and capital formation. Our faculty includes leading venture capital investors, experts from academia and government, experienced entrepreneurs, and other thought leaders in entrepreneurship and innovation.