Pear VC Fellows
Fellowship
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Pear VC Fellows
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Fellowship
Pear VC Fellows is a two‑semester, part‑time apprenticeship that turns entrepreneurial students at 40+ U.S. universities into on‑the‑ground extensions of the firm’s pre‑seed investing team. Fellows attend weekly remote workshops run by Pear partners Mar Hershenson and Pejman Nozad, learning fund mechanics, market sizing, diligence frameworks and founder coaching tactics. Programming is designed to fit a full course load: sessions are scheduled for late afternoons Pacific Time and are recorded for asynchronous review.
The curriculum moves from “zero‑to‑one” idea validation in the fall to term‑sheet analysis and post‑investment support in the spring. Each fellow sources at least five startups from their campus or online communities, triages them with a Pear mentor and, where appropriate, brings founders to the firm’s weekly partner meeting . High‑potential leads can receive up to $25 000 in exploratory funding through Pear’s Dorm initiative, giving fellows real influence over the firm’s pipeline.
Cohorts are intentionally small—30 to 35 seats—to preserve a 1‑to‑4 partner‑to‑fellow ratio. The 2023–24 class, for example, included 33 students from Stanford, MIT, Howard, Berkeley, UT Austin and Georgia Tech. Beyond classroom content, fellows receive one‑on‑one career coaching, free passes to Pear’s annual Founder Summit, and lifetime access to a Slack network of 250+ alumni now working at a16z, OpenAI, Scale AI and Google X.
Because Pear backs companies as early as “paper‑napkin” stage, the fellowship emphasises founder empathy: fellows practice mock office hours, run product‑feedback sprints and shadow Pear’s accelerator demo‑day prep. Many go on to raise dorm‑room seed rounds themselves—DoorDash and Branch trace their first institutional conversations to Pear student scouts. Graduates who excel are fast‑tracked for paid summer analyst roles or invited to join Pear full‑time after graduation.
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The application portal opens in late August and closes in early October each academic year . Candidates submit a résumé, a two‑minute Loom introducing a campus founder they admire, and a short memo deconstructing a recent seed round. Evaluators score for hustle, insight and evidence of founder‑first values; selected applicants advance to a 25‑minute Zoom interview with two alumni. Final offers are extended on a rolling basis by mid‑November so fellows can onboard before the winter kickoff. Acceptance rates hover near 6 percent, underscoring the program’s selectivity.
Pear Fellows is a volunteer apprenticeship: there is no salary, stipend or carry. Instead, fellows access proprietary market data, weekly partner mentorship, travel stipends to Pear events and resume‑boosting credit for every deal they source that Pear funds . The firm also reimburses reasonable costs for hosting campus founder dinners and demo nights.
Participation is entirely cost‑free. Pear underwrites all curriculum, event travel and software (e.g., PitchBook, Figma prototyping licences). Fellows need only a laptop and the flexibility to spend ~5 hours per week on program activities.
The fellowship tracks the U.S. academic calendar.
TechCrunch dubbed Pear Fellows “one of the most effective on‑campus sourcing programs in venture” after the firm’s 2023 fund close. Leland career coach Aurora Feng calls the fellowship “a golden ticket for students serious about VC”. Pear’s own blog highlights the 2023 cohort’s diversity—53 percent women and 47 percent from under‑represented ethnicities.
What is the weekly time commitment?
Roughly five hours: one 90‑minute session, 90 minutes of sourcing and an optional office‑hour block.
Is the program paid?
No; fellows volunteer but receive travel stipends, data‑tool access and hiring priority for Pear internships.
Do I need prior VC experience?
No—drive, founder empathy and campus connectivity matter more than a finance résumé.
Can non‑U.S. students apply?
International students enrolled at U.S. universities are welcome; offshore campuses are not yet supported.
How many startups must I source?
At least five qualified referrals per semester; there is no upper limit.
Does every referral get funding?
No, but strong leads advance to partner meetings and may receive a Pear check up to $25 k.
What happens after graduation?
You join the Pear Fellows alumni Slack, receive ongoing mentorship and priority invitations to Pear’s analyst searches.
Are travel costs really covered?
Yes—Pear reimburses airfare and lodging for its annual Founder Summit plus approved campus events.
How selective is the program?
Recent acceptance rates are ~6 percent of 500+ applications.
Can Fellows raise from Pear for their own startups?
Yes—15 alumni have secured Pear pre‑seed capital after the program.
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