Front Row Ventures Student Fund
Fellowship
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Front Row Ventures Student Fund
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Fellowship
Front Row Ventures (FRV) is a year‑long, part‑time apprenticeship that turns high‑potential Canadian university students into venture investors and backs their peers with first‑money‑in capital. Launched in 2017 by Real Ventures, FRV operates three regional micro‑funds—Québec, Ontario and Western Canada—each managed by a cohort of 20–25 Student Investors. Cohorts begin with a three‑day investment bootcamp covering fund mechanics, sourcing funnels, due‑diligence playbooks and term‑sheet fundamentals.
Over twelve months participants source deals from their campuses, run full diligence with Real Ventures partners and vote on $25 000 pre‑seed SAFEs issued from their regional fund. Cheques target software, deep‑tech and life‑science companies founded by students or recent graduates and are structured to follow on in later Real Ventures rounds. Weekly responsibilities include founder meetings, market research and Monday‑night partner calls; every quarter the cohort gathers in Montréal or Toronto for in‑person pipeline reviews and portfolio workshops.
Training continues through monthly lunch‑and‑learns with guest VCs, legal clinics with Osler and sector deep dives led by FRV alumni. By graduation, Student Investors will have screened 300+ startups, authored multiple investment memos and joined at least one board‑observer seat—practical experience that routinely converts into analyst roles at Canadian and US funds. To date, FRV has invested in more than 40 companies that have collectively raised over $120 million in follow‑on capital, while 60 percent of alumni now work full‑time in venture or high‑growth startups.
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Applications open every February for the following academic year. Candidates submit a résumé, a short market‑analysis memo and a two‑minute Loom on why their campus is an untapped deal source. Short‑listed applicants interview with regional lead investors and complete a quick diligence case. Offers go out in April so students can onboard before the August bootcamp. Cohorts are capped at roughly 65 investors nationwide, yielding historical acceptance rates near five percent.
The role is volunteer‑based; no salary or carry is provided. Instead, Student Investors receive hands‑on training, direct credit on investment memos and priority consideration for internships with Real Ventures and FRV portfolio companies. All travel and event costs are covered by the fund.
FRV charges no tuition or fees. Real Ventures underwrites bootcamp expenses, software licences and regional summit travel; participants only cover day‑to‑day expenses like coffee chats on campus.
The fellowship follows the academic calendar.
Expect 6–10 hours a week during the academic year: two hours of live calls, three to five hours of sourcing and diligence, plus optional office hours and events. The workload is designed to fit alongside full‑time studies.
Core activities—weekly partner calls, founder meetings and workshops—run on Zoom and Slack; mandatory bootcamp and quarterly summits rotate between Montréal, Toronto and Vancouver. Campus scouting and founder support are done in person at each investor’s university.
How much time does the program take?
Roughly 6–10 hours per week across sourcing, calls and events.
Do Student Investors get paid?
No; the role is volunteer but covers travel and provides extensive training.
What cheque size does FRV write?
Standard investment is a $25 000 SAFE into pre‑seed rounds.
Is the program remote?
Core work is online; bootcamp and quarterly summits are in person.
Can graduate students apply?
Yes—master’s and PhD candidates are welcome.
Does FRV take board seats?
Student Investors often take observer seats with support from Real Ventures.
What industries do you fund?
Primarily B2B software, with openness to deep‑tech and healthtech.
Do I need prior VC experience?
No—founder empathy, hustle and curiosity matter most.
How many deals does each cohort fund?
Typically 6–8 per region for about 20 deals nationwide each year.
What happens after graduation?
Alumni join a private Slack, referral network and periodic masterclasses.
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