What do VCs look for in student-led startups?

​Are you curious about what it takes for a student-led startup to capture a VC's attention? Join us for an insightful session where we dive into the world of venture capital and uncover what VCs look for in student-led ventures. Whether you're an aspiring founder or simply interested in the startup ecosystem, this event is for you!

​In this session, we’ll be joined by Nick Arnett (Partner at 1517) and Thomas Parkinson (Senior Director at Illinois Ventures) to explore:

• ​How student-led ventures can stand out to investors and why they are sometimes uniquely positioned to succeed.

• ​The VC decision-making process for investing in student ventures, breaking down the factors that matter most.

• ​Real stories of successful student-led, venture-backed startups, sharing their journey from campus to capital.

• ​Essential do-s and don’t-s for pitching, covering timing, product development, and what VCs look for in a founder’s profile.

​Learn the key factors that influence VC investments in student startups, gain critical insights into venture capital investments, and and position your venture for success.

​About 10xLabs

​10xLabs is a student-led venture studio based out of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We take different approach to student entrepreneurship by supporting 2 to 3 student entrepreneurs per semester, focusing on ideation & market validation, and de-risking ideas before any line of code is written.

​Our venture-building process allows students to learn how to ideate, run customer discovery calls, and set and hit market validation metrics. We also have an in-house core team (Engineering, UI/UX, and Marketing) that assists the student entrepreneurs in the prototyping phase.