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Free Ventures

Free Ventures is a student-run nonprofit incubator based at UC Berkeley, focused on supporting pre-seed startups founded by students. It provides equity-free funding, mentorship, and resources to help develop viable business ideas.

Founded
2013
Recorded stages
Pre Seed
Recorded regions
United States, Canada

Online destinations

Find Free Ventures online

Where to find this organization online, grouped by who runs each page. A link here does not mean the organization controls it.

Official links

Pages the organization runs itself.

Overview

Free Ventures is an organization dedicated to supporting early-stage startups, founded to provide essential resources and guidance to entrepreneurs. Based in the United States, it operates as a nonprofit student-run incubator affiliated with UC Berkeley, focusing on fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among students.

Focus

Free Ventures invests in early-stage companies across various sectors, offering services such as mentorship, funding, and access to a network of industry professionals. The organization aims to support startups in their growth and development, emphasizing founder quality and problem selection over sector focus.

Support

Free Ventures provides a zero-equity model, allowing founders to retain full ownership of their companies. The program offers a curated network of over 100 mentors and advisors, dedicated workspace, personalized mentor matching, and connections to top venture capitalists, along with academic credit for participation.

Questions

What is the equity model?

Free Ventures operates on a zero-equity model, meaning founders keep 100% of their ownership.

What is the cohort size?

Each cohort typically includes 1-2 companies per semester.

Is there a requirement for participation?

At least one founder must be affiliated with UC Berkeley.

Check your startup’s fit

Check your startup’s fit with Free Ventures

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