Strand Ventures. is a student-led venture capital fund founded at King’s College London.

Our mission is to be the first investor in student founders and provide them with the funding, mentorship, and network needed to turn ideas into scalable businesses.

Our goal is to bridge the funding gap by supporting the most promising student-led startups at the earliest stage.

Why we exist.

Traditional VCs rarely back startups at the earliest stages, leaving many talented student founders without the funding or guidance they need. We fill this gap by:

  1. Providing pre-seed funding to help founders build and validate their ideas.

  2. Connecting startups with investors, mentors, and accelerators.

  3. Building a structured pipeline for student founders to access real venture opportunities.

Our Approach.

Our investment process is designed to identify, evaluate, and support high-potential student startups.

How We Invest

  • Eligibility: We invest in student-led startups across the UK.

  • Investment Size: Initial funding to help build an MVP and gain early traction.

  • Support: We provide mentorship, strategic guidance, and investor connections.

The Selection Process

  • Startup Scouting – Our network of scouts identifies promising founders.

  • Application & Review – Startups apply for funding, and we assess their potential.

  • Due Diligence – We conduct a structured evaluation to determine investment readiness.

  • Investment & Support – Selected startups receive funding and access to our network.

Meet The Team.

John Sergeant

FOUNDING PARTNER

Eric Nguyen

FOUNDING PARTNER

Elyab Berhanu

FOUNDING PARTNER

Ammiel Wan

FOUNDING PARTNER

Maxim Szepesi

FOUNDING PARTNER

Affiliates.

Our Tracker.

A Smarter Way to Discover and Support Early-Stage Startups.

The Strand Ventures Tracker is a deal flow and due diligence platform that allows us to identify, monitor, and evaluate student-led startups as they develop. By tracking key performance metrics, we provide a data-driven approach to early-stage investing.

How It Works:

  1. Startup Submission – Startups apply for funding

  2. Evaluation & Entry – Selected startups are added to the tracker based on potential, innovation, and team strength.

  3. Ongoing Monitoring – We track progress across traction, product development, funding milestones, and key metrics.

  4. Investor Insights – Qualified investors gain access to curated deal flow and startup performance updates.

Our structured approach ensures that promising ventures don’t go unnoticed and that founders receive the right support at the right time.

Why Does It Matter?

  • For Startups – Visibility within an exclusive network of investors and accelerators.

  • For Investors – Access to real-time data and insights on high-potential university startups.

  • For Strand Ventures. – A scalable, structured pipeline to back the best student-led ventures.

The tracker is more than a database—it’s a gateway to meaningful connections, funding opportunities, and strategic support.

Upcoming Events.

Coming Soon – Our first events are in the works. Sign up to stay updated.

We will be hosting:

  • Pitch Competitions – Student founders present their startups to a panel of investors.

  • VC & Founder Networking Nights – Bringing together startups, investors, and industry leaders.

  • Workshops & Masterclasses – Insights from experienced founders and venture capitalists.

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Building the Future of University Startups.

We are committed to fostering a thriving startup ecosystem by hosting pitch competitions, networking events, and workshops designed to connect student founders, investors, and industry experts.

We are currently planning our first series of events, designed to provide early-stage founders with access to capital, mentorship, and a strong entrepreneurial network.

Why Attend?

For Founders: A chance to showcase your startup and connect with investors.

For Investors: Early access to student-led startups and promising talent.

For Students: Learn about startups, venture capital, and innovation from industry experts.

Whether you're a founder looking for funding, an investor seeking high-potential startups, or a student eager to break into the VC space, our events will help you build the right connections and gain valuable insights.