**Breaking News: $2M Accelerator for College Students Nationwide is a Game-Changer**
Hey friends, I’m stoked to share some amazing news with you all. Roman Scott and Itbaan Nafi, two Stanford students, have just raised a whopping $2 million for their startup accelerator, Breakthrough Ventures. This is a huge deal for college students and recent graduates across the US, who’ll now have access to the resources and funding they need to take their businesses to the next level.
So, what’s Breakthrough Ventures all about? In a nutshell, it’s an accelerator program designed specifically for student founders, offering a comprehensive package of support, including grant funding, compute credits, legal support, and mentorship. And the best part? It’s all tailored to the unique needs of student founders.
I had a chance to learn more about Breakthrough Ventures, and it’s clear that Roman and Itbaan drew inspiration from their own experiences hosting successful Demo Days at Stanford. They saw firsthand the energy and excitement of student founders and decided to create a program that addresses the specific challenges they face.
“We’ve nailed the student-founder experience to a T,” Nafi told TechCrunch. “That’s why we offer the resources we do and have structured the program in this way. Students really feel like we get them, and that’s because we’re students ourselves.”
Breakthrough Ventures is anything but your average accelerator program. Here’s what they’re offering:
* Grant funding of up to $10,000
* Compute credits through Microsoft and Nvidia’s Inception program
* Legal support
* Mentorship
* And a chance to receive a $50,000 follow-on investment at the end of the program
The accelerator will operate on a hybrid model, with in-person meetups at top VC firms, culminating in a Demo Day at Stanford. Roman and Itbaan plan to deploy the fund over the next three years, aiming to incubate at least 100 companies.
Applications for the latest cohort are now open, and I expect they’ll be met with a high volume of interest from students across the nation.
As Nafi said, “We hope that by supporting young entrepreneurs, we’re able to uplift as many stories as possible and then encourage many more globally to use the tools and knowledge available to them to pursue entrepreneurship, not only to change their communities but also to gain financial stability for themselves and their families.”
I’m excited to see the impact Breakthrough Ventures will have on student founders across the nation. If you’re a student with a passion for entrepreneurship, don’t miss out on this opportunity!
**Update:** Yeah, I updated the title to reflect the correct name of one of the funding companies.
