Venture Capital Investment Training Course

Participants can source and screen startup opportunities against a defined investment thesis.

• Proprietary sourcing channels: founders, accelerators, co-investors and industry networks
• Inbound deal triage using stage, sector, traction and ownership filters
• Investment scorecards weighted for team, market, product, traction and economics
• Red-flag identification from pitch decks, data rooms and founder claims
• Customer discovery signals distinguished from repeatable commercial traction
• Pipeline management through CRM stages, decline reasons and follow-up actions
• Warm introduction protocols and founder communications during early evaluation

Participants can assess whether a startup addresses an investable market with a credible business model.

• TAM, SAM and SOM estimates tested against buyer segments and adoption assumptions
• Bottom-up market sizing built from customer volumes, pricing and penetration
• Porter's Five Forces applied to startup competition and industry profit pools
• Product-market fit assessed through retention, engagement, referrals and willingness to pay
• Business model analysis covering pricing, gross margin, sales motion and scalability
• Unit economics calculated using CAC, LTV, payback period and contribution margin
• Competitive moats examined through switching costs, data, network effects and distribution

Participants can plan and execute proportionate due diligence for an early-stage investment decision.

• Diligence scope matched to company stage, cheque size and identified risks
• Founder references structured around execution, integrity, resilience and decision making
• Customer interviews tested for purchasing authority, alternatives and renewal intent
• Revenue quality reviewed through contracts, cohorts, churn and concentration metrics
• Technology diligence identifies architecture dependencies, cybersecurity exposures and technical debt
• Regulatory risk mapped through licences, data protection and sector-specific obligations
• Diligence findings recorded in risk registers with owners, mitigations and evidence

Participants can model startup financing needs and derive valuation ranges using venture methods.

• Three-statement startup models linked through operating drivers and financing assumptions
• Cash runway calculated from burn rate, working capital and committed funding
• Milestone-based financing plans aligned with product, revenue and hiring objectives
• Comparable company analysis adjusted for growth, margins, stage and liquidity
• Venture capital method derives post-money value from target return assumptions
• Scenario analysis tests dilution, exit multiples, timing and ownership outcomes
• Pre-money and post-money valuations reconciled with option pool treatment

Participants can compare financing instruments and identify their economic and governance effects.

• Ordinary shares, preferred shares, SAFEs and convertible notes compared
• Liquidation preferences modelled across participating and non-participating structures
• Anti-dilution provisions assessed using broad-based weighted-average and full-ratchet formulas
• Option pools, founder vesting and employee incentives analysed before closing
• Pro rata rights and super pro rata rights evaluated for follow-on ownership
• Protective provisions, board seats and consent rights allocated between investors
• NVCA Model Legal Documents used to interpret standard venture transaction terms

Participants can prepare and defend an evidence-based investment recommendation before an investment committee.

• Investment memoranda structure the thesis, evidence, risks, terms and recommendation
• Key assumptions separated from facts, forecasts and management representations
• Risk matrices rank probability, impact, mitigations and residual exposure
• Downside cases test failed milestones, delayed fundraising and customer losses
• Sensitivity tables show return effects from dilution, valuation and exit timing
• Decision logs document approval conditions, dissenting views and follow-up actions
• Investment committee questions anticipated through claim-evidence-rebuttal preparation

Participants can monitor portfolio companies and make disciplined follow-on investment decisions.

• Board reporting packs track cash, milestones, KPIs, risks and financing status
• Investor board roles distinguished from observer rights and informal advisory support
• Operating KPI dashboards selected for SaaS, marketplaces, fintech and healthcare services
• Portfolio triage distinguishes support priorities, watchlists and impairment candidates
• Follow-on decisions assessed through ownership targets, reserves and new information
• Syndicate management coordinates lead investors, information rights and financing timelines
• Founder support plans address hiring, customer introductions and strategic partnerships

Participants can estimate exit proceeds, report portfolio value and assess fund-level return outcomes.

• Exit routes compared: trade sales, secondary sales, IPOs and buybacks
• Waterfall models allocate proceeds across preference stacks and ownership classes
• MOIC, gross IRR and net IRR calculated for venture investments
• Distribution timing assessed through DPI, TVPI and residual value measures
• IPEV Valuation Guidelines applied to unquoted early-stage portfolio holdings
• Fair value adjustments supported by financing events, milestones and market evidence
• Exit readiness reviewed through governance, diligence records and buyer positioning

Participants can establish an action plan for improving their venture investment process and controls.

• Investment process maps connect sourcing, diligence, approval, closing and monitoring
• Stage gates define evidence thresholds, approval rights and escalation triggers
• Template libraries standardise scorecards, diligence requests and investment memoranda
• Data room checklists organise legal, financial, commercial and technical evidence
• Post-investment review compares underwriting assumptions with actual portfolio outcomes
• Bias controls address anchoring, confirmation bias, founder charisma and herd behaviour
• Ninety-day application plans specify process changes, owners and review dates

Participants need basic familiarity with financial statements, equity ownership and spreadsheet calculations. The course introduces venture fund mechanics, startup financing instruments and venture valuation methods without assuming prior venture capital experience.

Bring a laptop with spreadsheet software for reviewing financial models and case materials. Participants may also bring a current investment policy, screening template or anonymised startup case they wish to improve.

It is designed for investment professionals in venture capital, corporate venture, family offices, development finance and strategic investment teams. Finance professionals supporting startup funding decisions will also benefit.

The course focuses on minority investments in early-stage companies, where limited operating history, staged financing and preference structures shape returns. Private equity courses usually focus on mature-company buyouts, while entrepreneurship courses focus on building a company rather than underwriting investments.

Participants can use the screening scorecard, diligence checklist, valuation model and investment memorandum template on live or prospective transactions. Portfolio teams can also apply the monitoring framework to board reporting, reserve decisions and follow-on reviews.

The five days provide about 32.5 contact hours, organised into ten modules of approximately three hours each. Time is divided between instructor input, case analysis, financial-model review, group decision work, simulations and individual application planning.