Become a Startup Scout
in
at
University of California, Davis

Join our VC startup scout program and leverage unique opportunities for personal growth and networking. Gain in-depth industry insights, harness valuable leadership skills, and positively impact the startup ecosystem. Be part of our exciting journey.

About

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has cultivated an impressive startup and Venture Capital (VC) ecosystem. This supportive ecosystem comes as a result of comprehensive initiatives, resources, and educational programs aimed at fostering entrepreneurship and innovation.

One key initiative of UC Davis is its Venture Catalyst program. The program provides a range of services to help facilitate the successful launch and development of startups created from UC Davis technologies. It supports startups at all stages, providing a variety of resources such as startup mentoring, proof-of-concept funding, business development services, and access to its extensive network of VC partners.

Another initiative is the Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The institute is part of the UC Davis Graduate School of Management and is geared towards training students, researchers, and faculty to be innovators and entrepreneurs. It offers various academic and professional development programs, including the Big Bang! Business Competition, a startup accelerator program that has been responsible for many successful startups.

UC Davis also operates Aggie Innovation and Startup Resources, a platform that offers access to a full range of resources, mentoring, networking opportunities, and tools for startups, including the Student Startup Center that encourages students to launch and scale their ventures.

A number of successful startups have emerged out of UC Davis. Notable examples include Evolve BioSystems, a company developing novel solutions to restore and maintain gut health, which successfully raised $40 million in a Series C funding; and Barobo, Inc., a robotics and learning company that commercialized technologies developed at the UC Davis College of Engineering.

UC Davis alumni have also gone on to create breakthrough companies outside of the university. Notable UC Davis alumni Scopio Labs' co-founder Itai Hayut, who developed a digital microscopy platform that is transforming lab work in life science research and clinical diagnostics, giving scientists and pathologists a broader, more dynamic view of the microscopic world.

In the VC world, UC Davis boasts graduates such as Tim Keller, a founding partner at Jackson Square Ventures, which has more than $1.3 billion under management and is one of the leading early-stage venture capital firms in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Therefore, the University of California, Davis can be considered a strong contributor to the startup and VC ecosystem, with a rich history of fostering successful ventures and producing high-achieving founders and investors.

As a Scout, You Can...

Kickstart Your Venture Capital Career

Showing your skills in picking successful startups and advising founders is the surest way to build your reputation and secure a venture capital role.

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Help Your Ecosystem Thrive

Your community, region, or group thrives when its founders are given the chance to succeed before going back and reinvesting in their comunities.

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Earn a Share in Startups Without Investing in Them

Earn a share in startups you scout without the funds to invest directly just like a VC partner.

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Monetise Your Content & Community

As a podcaster, community manager, or event organiser you have a front-row seat to interesting startups which you can monetise by helping them fundraise.

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Create a Fairer Society

By identifying under-represented founders you're level the playing field for anyone to success based on merit independent from their social or ethnic background.

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Help Friends Get Funded

Help your friends who are neck-deep in their startups get the funding they need to succeed.

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Grow Your Personal Brand

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Join as a Scout at Your University

Available Programs

Startup Investor?

We welcome investors to our dealflow network and are excited to provide opportunities from individuals, startups, and innovations coming out of the University of California, Davis. Join us and make the most of these exclusive opportunities.

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Scout Programs in Other Global Startup Hubs

Podcaster

Do you interview founders & startups? Take your conversation insights to the next level by scouting your favourite podcast guests.

Scout founders you interview →

Co-Working Space Organiser

Do you help run a co-working space as an organiser or a greeter? Do you come across interesting entrepreneurs and startups?

Scout startups you sit next to→

Event Organiser

Do you organise an event, conference, or trade show? Help your founder attendees get discovered.

Scout startups at your event →

Student

Are you active in the entrepreneurship club at your college? Doing an MBA? Or are you a PHD student at a technical university? Help your fellow students get funded.

Scout startups at your university →

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