Executive Education Programs

For Venture Capital, Private Equity, and Angel Investing

Schedule: 1st Week Of Each Semester, Five Full Days, Mon-Fri, ~9:00am-5:00pm PST, in VU's San Francisco Office

 

Overview: The VC/PE Masterclass is a one week in-person intensive investment course taught by VU's General Partners.

 

The course covers the core concepts of venture capital, private equity, and angel investing, with many case studies and group discussions.

 

Curriculum:

1. What is Angel Investing, Venture Capital, and Private Equity?  The Angel, VC, PE Ecosystem.  The Life & Schedule of a VC/PE Investor.  The History of Angel Investing, Venture Capital, and Private Equity. 
2. VC & Startup International Ecosystem
3. Why do VC/PE?  How to get into VC/PE? VC roles & how to grow your VC career
4. Risk vs. Reward By Asset Class (Cash, Fixed Income / Real Estate, Public Stocks, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Angel)
5. The History & Evolution of Commerce & Platforms, Industrial Revolutions
6. Understanding Platforms (Internet, Marketplaces, Networks, Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence)
7. Understanding Industry Sectors (Fintech, EdTech, Healthcare, Telecom, etc.), Categories (B2B, B2C), Revenue Models (One-time vs. Recurring) & Business Models (Markup, Arbitrage, Licensing, Commission, Rent / Lease, Subscription, Advertising, Fee for Service, Donation)
8. Legal Investment Fund Structures
9. VC/PE Compensation
10. VC/PE Case Studies
11. Diversity in VC
12. The Pareto Principle (also known as the 80/20 rule)
13. How to create an Angel / Venture Fund Strategy (Fund Size, Investment Size, Stage, Sector, Theses, Diversification) & VC Math By Investment Ownership vs. Fund Size
14. How to Raise an Investment Fund & LP Landscape
15. LP Due Diligence
16. How to Provide Value to Entrepreneurs & LPs
17. Corporate Innovation Solution Landscape
18. Corporate Venture Capital (Best / Worst Practices)
19. Deal Sourcing Strategy
20. The “Best” Startup Investor Pitch Deck
21. Top 10 Lies Entrepreneurs Tell Investors
22. Top 10 Lies Investors Tell Entrepreneurs
23. Investment Evaluation Sheet (12 Core Criteria) & Key Metrics (LTV / CAC, Revenue / Capital Spent, Gross Margin, Revenue / User Growth, Valuation / Revenue, Burn Rate) & Top Investor Questions
24. Sizing A Market, Competitive Landscape (Direct & Indirect Competition), Competitive Advantages (Unfair & Sustainable Moats)
25. How to Evaluate Teams & Unconscious Bias
26. Due Diligence Process: 1^st Level (Deck, Market Size, Team, Product / Service), 2^nd Level (Financials & Projections, Term Sheets, Investment Docs, Cap Table), 3^rd Level (Access Data Room, Customer & Investor Interviews, Legal Due Diligence)
27. Financial Modeling: Gross vs. Net Revenue, COGS, Operating Expenses, EBITDA, Cash Flow
28. Financial Analysis
29. Calculating Valuation (Pre-$ / Post-$), Share Price, & Ownership & Dilution Over Multiple Investment Rounds, Enterprise Value
30. Term Sheets & Investment Docs: Convertible Debt / SAFEs, Preferred Equity
31. Founders, Advisors & Employee Equity
32. Understanding Cap Tables & Capital Stack (Debt vs. Equity) & Recapitalizations
33. Bank Debt, Venture Debt, & Credit Facilities
34. How to Help Grow Portfolio Companies, Managing a Portfolio of Investments, & Reporting to LPs
35. Investing Strategies: Leading vs. Co-Investing, Follow-on Investing & Pro-Rata (in up, flat, and down rounds)
36. Best Practices of Board of Directors
37. Exit Analysis: Revenue / EBITDA Multiples, Comps, Waterfall Analysis, Calculating IRR
38. How to Increase Exit Value
39. M&A (Financial Buyer vs. Strategic)
40. IPO