Startup Steroid

  Every venture capital firm faces the same challenge: how to sift through a high volume of startup pitches and identify the ones worth pursuing. The initial screening stage is the first—and perhaps most crucial—step in the venture capital deal flow process. If it's done well, it saves time, keeps you aligned with your goals for investment, and raises your odds of investing in the correct founders.   Here’s how you can approach this stage with greater efficiency and clarity, without cutting corners.     Define What You’re Looking For    Before you even open a pitch deck, make sure you’re clear on your fund’s focus. Are you looking for early traction or raw potential? Do you invest only in B2B SaaS or are you open to consumer tech too? What stage and check size do you prefer?    This clarity is what helps you avoid spending time on startups that don’t match your criteria. Many firms waste valuable hours evaluating founders who were never ...

  Over the past few years, more students have been making their way into the entrepreneurial world. Tech solutions and green products to social impact ventures, university campuses now buzz with energy. But behind successful student startups is often a well-connected support system — the university innovation ecosystem .   These ecosystems are not buzzwords; they are the foundation that enable campus ideas to become a real-world pursuit.   Here's how they're instrumental in facilitating student startups to lift-off.   What Is a University Innovation Ecosystem?     A university innovation ecosystem is an interdependent system of people, programs, partnerships, and resources that engage in innovation and entrepreneurship within a university setting. It connects students with mentors, research labs, startup incubators , funding opportunities, and real-world industry links.    Instead of working in isolation, students can tap into a larger framew...