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The MBA Fund

North America, California, United States, Palo Alto

Description

The MBA Fund is a distinctive venture capital firm headquartered in Palo Alto, California, with a core mission to identify and back promising startups founded by students and alumni from top business schools across the United States. Established to bridge the gap between academic innovation and venture capital, the fund leverages an extensive network spanning institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, and Columbia, providing a unique pipeline for deal flow and a robust support system for its portfolio companies. This model not only fuels entrepreneurship within academic communities but also offers invaluable hands-on experience for current MBA students involved in the fund's operations.

The firm primarily focuses on pre-seed and seed-stage investments, aiming to provide crucial early capital to nascent ventures. Their investment strategy is deeply rooted in the belief that founders emerging from these elite academic environments possess unique insights, strong networks, and the drive necessary to build impactful companies. The MBA Fund's commitment extends beyond financial backing; they actively support their portfolio companies with strategic guidance, mentorship, and access to their vast network of industry experts, potential customers, and future talent.

In 2021, The MBA Fund notably raised a $20 million fund, significantly bolstering its capacity to invest in a broader range of promising startups. This capital allows them to write initial checks typically ranging from $50,000 to $250,000, positioning them as a key early-stage investor for student and alumni-led ventures. To date, the fund has made over 100 investments, showcasing its active and consistent engagement within its niche. This track record underscores their dedication to fostering innovation and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs emerging from leading MBA programs.

Investor Profile

The MBA Fund has backed more than 65 startups, with 6 new investments in the last 12 months alone. The firm has led 0 rounds, about 0% of its total and boasts 4 exits across its portfolio.

Investment Focus Highlights

  • Concentrates on Seed, Pre Seed, Series A rounds (top funding stages).
  • Majority of deals are located in United States, Colombia, Kenya.
  • Strong thematic focus on Software, Health Care, Information Technology.
  • Typical check size: $50K – $250K.

Stage Focus

  • Seed (51%)
  • Pre Seed (38%)
  • Series A (5%)
  • Series B (3%)
  • Series Unknown (3%)

Country Focus

  • United States (88%)
  • Colombia (2%)
  • Kenya (2%)
  • Ghana (2%)
  • Brazil (2%)
  • South Korea (2%)
  • Thailand (2%)
  • Mexico (2%)

Industry Focus

  • Software
  • Health Care
  • Information Technology
  • E-commerce
  • Food And Beverage
  • Artificial Intelligence (Ai)
  • Fintech
  • Internet
  • Wellness
  • Financial Services
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FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn who this investor regularly partners with—both firms and angels—and explore their latest activity.

Who does The MBA Fund frequently co-invest with?

NFX
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 6
Switch Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 5
Gaingels
North America, Vermont, United States, Burlington
Co-Investments: 3
Pear VC
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Co-Investments: 4
Rough Draft Ventures
North America, Massachusetts, United States, Cambridge
Co-Investments: 3
Y Combinator
North America, California, United States, Mountain View
Co-Investments: 8
Dorm Room Fund
North America, Pennsylvania, United States, Philadelphia
Co-Investments: 7
Unpopular Ventures
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Co-Investments: 5
J Ventures
North America, New York, United States, New York
Co-Investments: 3
Alumni Ventures
North America, New Hampshire, United States, Manchester
Co-Investments: 5

Which angels does The MBA Fund often collaborate with?

JX
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
AA
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
LG
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
Delian Asparouhov
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
BL
North America, California, United States, Menlo Park
Shared Deals: 1
AJ
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 2
KL
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
KA
North America, California, United States, San Francisco
Shared Deals: 1
CH
North America, United States
Shared Deals: 1
RM
North America, Texas, United States, Austin
Shared Deals: 1

What are some of recent deals done by The MBA Fund?

Creatify AI

Mountain View, California, United States

Creatify AI generates UGC-style video ads using AI avatars from product links.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Information TechnologyPaaSVideo
Series AMay 28, 2025
Amount Raised: $15,500,000
Hue

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Hue is a SaaS platform that sources and integrates authentic video reviews on e-commerce brands’ websites and marketing channels.

E-CommerceE-Commerce PlatformsSaaSSoftware
SeedOct 22, 2024
Amount Raised: $4,500,000
Vytala

Malvern, Pennsylvania, United States

Vytala is a food tech firm focused on improving nutrition through innovative solutions.

BiotechnologyFood and BeverageNutrition
Pre SeedSep 19, 2024
Mbue

Austin, Texas, United States

Mbue provides AI-based quality control tools to help architecture, engineering, and construction firms achieve better results.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Developer ToolsMachine LearningQuality AssuranceSoftware
Pre SeedSep 17, 2024
Amount Raised: $1,800,000
AmorSui

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

AmorSui is a global protective wear brand elevating the safety and sustainability through an on-demand platform for premium reusable PPE.

Consumer GoodsFashionGift CardHealth CareLogisticsMobile AppsRetailSustainability
SeedAug 8, 2024
Amount Raised: $3,500,000
Bering Lab

Seoul, Seoul-t'ukpyolsi, South Korea

Bering Lab is an AI-powered machine translation startup.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)Machine LearningTranslation Service
SeedAug 7, 2024
Amount Raised: $2,180,364
Papaya

Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand

Papaya is the quickest way to order and pay in restaurants and bars.

Hospitality
SeedJul 19, 2024
TestParty

New York, New York, United States

TestParty Replace manual testing efforts to save money and time while preparing for audits and maintaining compliance.

Software
SeedJun 25, 2024
Amount Raised: $4,000,000
Concentro

New York, New York, United States

A tech-enabled marketplace for clean energy tax credits

CleanTechFinTech
Pre SeedAug 17, 2023
Frame - Fertility & Family Building

San Francisco, California, United States

Frame develops an evidence-based platform for early detection of risk and care navigation to inform family building and planning.

FertilityHealth CareWellness
SeedJul 24, 2023