Rough Draft Ventures Student Fund
Fellowship
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Rough Draft Ventures Student Fund
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Fellowship
Rough Draft Ventures (RDV) or GC Venture Fellows as it is currently known is General Catalyst’s student‑run pre‑seed fund. Since 2012 it has provided first‑money‑in capital, mentorship, and a trusted community to university founders across North America. Each academic year RDV appoints 40‑plus Student Investors drawn from 35+ campuses. Investors receive a crash course in venture mechanics—deal sourcing, diligence, term‑sheet basics, portfolio support—and are empowered to write checks of USD 25 000 into startups founded by students or recent graduates.
The program begins with a two‑day kickoff retreat in Boston where the incoming cohort meets General Catalyst partners and RDV alumni. Over the next nine months Student Investors operate as a distributed team: they host campus office hours, attend weekly remote deal‑review calls, and collaborate in a private Slack on sourcing tactics and market research. RDV provides Airtable and Notion workspaces, standardized SAFE documents, and legal back‑office support so that deals can close in days rather than weeks.
Beyond capital, RDV surrounds founders with resources: credits from AWS, HubSpot, and Brex; one‑on‑one sessions with domain experts inside General Catalyst; and warm introductions to later‑stage funds when traction warrants. Investors themselves benefit from résumé‑building experience, direct mentorship from GC partners, and an alumni network whose members have gone on to firms such as a16z, Lightspeed, Index, and First Round.
To date RDV has backed more than 275 companies, including Notion, Bowery Farming, WHOOP, Fireflies.ai, Stir, and Snackpass. Portfolio companies have collectively raised over USD 4 billion in follow‑on funding and created thousands of jobs—proof that great ideas can emerge from dorm rooms as easily as from Sand Hill Road.
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Applications open each March. Candidates submit a résumé, a short essay on founder access, and two startup referrals. Short‑listed applicants complete a 20‑minute Zoom interview with current investors and a General Catalyst partner. Final decisions are released by late April so that new investors can onboard before summer.
The fellowship is unpaid. Student Investors do not contribute capital, pay fees, or receive carry; the primary benefits are education, network access, and résumé‑level deal experience.
RDV charges no fees. General Catalyst covers all investment capital, legal paperwork, software licenses, and the cost of the in‑person retreats; investors fund only personal travel if they attend optional events outside their campus city.
Student Investors devote roughly 5–8 hours per week during the academic year: two hours for the Monday night deal call, one hour for internal workshops, and the rest for sourcing, diligence, and founder support on their own schedule.
Program activity is primarily remote (Zoom, Slack, Airtable). Investors are expected to engage founders in person on their own campuses and to attend one optional in‑person retreat per semester in Boston, New York, or the Bay Area.
What is Rough Draft Ventures?
A student‑run pre‑seed fund backed by General Catalyst that invests USD 25 000 in startups founded by students or recent graduates.
How much time does the program take?
Roughly 5–8 hours per week during the academic year, with most activity scheduled around classes.
Is the program paid?
No; investors volunteer. The upside is experience, mentorship, and alumni network access.
Do I need prior VC experience?
No. Selection favors hustle, founder empathy, and campus reach over finance skills; RDV trains you on fundamentals.
Can international students apply?
Yes—any full‑time student at a North‑American university may apply regardless of citizenship.
How many deals can a student investor do?
There is no strict cap; most investors complete two to four deals per year, subject to investment‑committee approval.
Does RDV take board seats?
No. Checks are structured on founder‑friendly SAFEs without governance rights; advisors may join informally.
Are engineering majors preferred?
The cohort is intentionally diverse—designers, scientists, MBAs, and humanities majors all serve as investors.
When do applications open?
Typically in March, with final selections announced by the end of April.
Can graduates stay involved?
Yes. Alumni join a dedicated Slack, receive invite‑only deal‑share rights and mentor future cohorts.
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