Direct admissionsDirect admissions. Investor Accelerator
Skip the form. Book your admissions interview.
You came from our LinkedIn posting. Rather than filling out an application, take the fast route: a direct admissions interview with Andy and Remy Goldstein, Partners Europe at VU, to see whether the Investor Accelerator is the right fit for you.
- Speak directly with the Partners who run VU Europe
- Real deals inside a live fund, not case studies
- Remote or in person: Munich, San Francisco, Hong Kong
- Part-time compatible with a full-time role
Step 1 of 2
Tell us who you are, then pick your time.
These are the same questions the scheduler asks, so answer them once here and every answer carries over to your booking. It takes about two minutes and lets the Partners prepare properly for your interview.
What we cover on the call.
Your background
Where you are today and what you want your investing track record to look like.
How the program runs
The 11 weeks, the apprenticeship inside the fund, and the weekly commitment.
Next steps
Fit, timing for the upcoming cohort, tuition and the admissions process.
UNICORN PORTFOLIO
Companies VU cohorts have invested in. They are building their own track records.
Investments sourced and led by VU cohorts
Who you learn from matters
Learn from, and work alongside, VU's top performing General Partners.
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- Years of VC Experience
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- Unicorns
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- Multi-Billion-Dollar Exits
The track record problem
You need a track record to get into venture. You need to be in venture to build one.
This is the chicken-and-egg problem almost every aspiring investor runs into. Funds want to see deals you have sourced, diligenced and defended, and the returns that followed. But without a seat at a fund, there is no legitimate way to build that evidence. Strong operators, bankers, consultants and founders get filtered out at the first screen, not because they lack judgement, but because they have nothing to point at.
At VU, that gap closes in a practical way: you build your own portfolio of up to 28 investments per year, working through the same pipeline as the GPs. That volume is what turns a few opinions into a real track record.
Your own portfolio
You work through real opportunities and can build a portfolio of up to 28 investments per year. The sheer volume gives you enough data to show how you think, decide and add value.
Do the work, on the record
You source, screen, diligence and present live opportunities alongside the GPs. That is the same process a fund runs, and what you produce becomes documented, referenceable work rather than an opinion in an interview.
Evidence you can show
Investment memos, diligence packs, portfolio work and committee decisions you took part in. That is the material hiring partners, LPs and co-investors actually ask to see.
A path beyond a job
Many participants are not chasing an associate role. They want to run their own syndicate, angel portfolio, SPVs or eventually a first fund. The same track record and network is what makes that credible to the people who back you.
Not sure venture is for you yet? Start with your employer's development budget.
If you are still testing how serious your interest is, the lowest-risk first step is often your existing learning and development or education budget. Most firms already carry one, and a practitioner-led certificate program fits cleanly into standard L&D categories, for one person or a whole team. You get real exposure to how investors think and decide before making a career bet, and your employer gets someone who can read the venture market fluently.
See how the education-budget route worksCommon questions.
Before you get in
Do I need prior investing experience?
No. Many participants come from consulting, tech, or research. We'll teach you both the fundamentals and the advanced concepts.
I've been investing for years. Is this only for beginners?
Not at all. Many of our participants are experienced angel investors, family office leads, or fund managers looking to sharpen their edge, build a stronger track record, better manage their portfolio, and drive real liquidation opportunities.
What if I'm working full-time?
We offer part-time and full-time options. All live sessions are recorded, and most of our professionals manage it alongside their work. Often they end up with more time because they know what they are doing.
Can I join if I'm outside of Europe?
Yes. Many join virtually from around the world. We run a hybrid format with hubs in Munich, San Francisco, and Hong Kong.
Is this just an online course?
No. It's an investment apprenticeship inside a real VC fund with real capital, real deals, and peer collaboration.
What time zone do you run sessions in?
We run our live sessions on California time, which means evenings in Europe. Key times to block are typically 6-9 PM CET, Monday through Thursday. All sessions are recorded.
Can I do it remotely, or do I need to travel?
Both work. VU can be done remotely or in person in San Francisco, Munich, and Hong Kong. Each cohort opens with an in-person welcome dinner and closes with a graduation dinner and trip.
What are the acceptance criteria?
We seek individuals with intellectual curiosity, a passion for innovation, contrarian and dynamic thinking, commitment to transformative ventures, resilience, a sustainable competitive advantage, creative and entrepreneurial execution, scalability and resourcefulness, market insight, and a track record of problem-solving.
What if I still have questions?
Book a call with a partner. We review every application personally and respond within 48 hours.
Tuition, fellowships & profit sharing
How much is the tuition?
The full-year experience is €40,000 ($45,000 / CHF 37,500) for 12 months (4 cohorts), our most cost-effective option. You can also join one cohort at a time, starting at €18,500 ($20,000 / CHF 17,500). Most participants choose the full-year path to maximize their track record and save €10,000 in tuition. If you're a strong fit but tuition is a concern, talk to us. Partial fellowships and payment plans may be available.
How does the profit-sharing agreement work?
Cohort members equally share in the financial upside across the opportunities their cohort selects to invest in during each quarter. The agreement is given in exchange for your active participation in the Investment Apprenticeship: sourcing, diligence, partner meetings, IC and securing allocations. Its future value is tied to the performance of those deals and may be worth none, some, all, or more than your tuition. VU targets venture opportunities returning ~10-100x and real estate opportunities returning ~1.5-4x. No additional capital is required.
Can I co-invest in my cohort's deals?
Yes, if you're an accredited investor. There is no management fee and no carried interest on personal investments made into your cohort's selected deals.
Are fellowships or payment plans available?
Yes, in select cases. If you're a strong fit but tuition is a concern, talk to us. Partial fellowships and payment plans may be available.
Inside the program
How is the Investor Accelerator structured?
It's an 11-week program: Week 1 is the VC Masterclass, followed by a 10-week Investment Apprenticeship inside VU Venture Partners. You can join for 1, 2 or 4 quarters (~3, 6 or 12 months), participating in up to 7 investments per quarter (up to 28 over a year).
What does a typical week look like?
Monday: Weekly Partner Meeting (present your top deals). Wednesday: Management Meeting with the GPs (deal flow feedback). Thursday/Friday: Vertical team meeting (decide what gets pitched). Plus Advanced Modules and twice-weekly Fireside Chats.
Will I actually make investment decisions?
Yes. You join a vertical investment team, run diligence, speak with founders and customers, present at Partner Meetings, and participate on the Investment Committee with real votes on real deals.
What deal flow will I see?
You'll access and contribute to a pipeline of ~5,000 startups per quarter across Consumer, Enterprise, Fintech & PropTech, Frontier, and Healthcare, from seed through growth stage.
What roles can I take on?
Analyst, Associate, Principal, or Venture Partner (the latter for angels, emerging fund managers, and individuals targeting a Partner role at a VC fund).
What certificates do I receive?
Three, all issued via Credly: (1) Executive Education in the VC Masterclass, (2) Executive Education in the Advanced VC Modules, and (3) Venture Capital Investment Experience via the Investment Apprenticeship.
What does the Masterclass cover?
40 hours across ~100 core topics: VC/PE history and players, fund thesis, structure, strategy and economics, deal sourcing and diligence, financings and valuation, portfolio management, exits, legal aspects, launching a syndicate or fund, emerging trends, case studies, and the qualitative edge of seeing breakthroughs others miss.
What's in the Advanced Modules?
Investment thesis and market sizing, levels of diligence, financial modeling, the three statements, venture financings (with Wilson Sonsini), term sheets, valuation and waterfall analysis, M&A, secondaries, LP fund decks and fund modeling, syndicate and fund administration, pitching LPs, boards, closing the deal, corporate VC, PE real estate, and more.
Want the full picture first? Read about the Investor Accelerator.