Benefits
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Understand venture capital from the inside.
Attention
Understand how venture capital actually works, from fund structure and deal sourcing to building conviction around a thesis. Through five sessions with real investors and lawyers, you'll get a hands-on, investor-side view of the startup funding ecosystem, ending with your own investment call in front of a live jury.
Term(s)
Venture Capital
Time investment
Weekly Live Sessions
2 Hours
Every Thursday from 4:45PM - 6:45PM
ECTS
No ECTS credits but HPI Certificate
Module type
Module selection at HPI
Grades
No grades
Enrollment deadline
20.10.2026 (midnight)
Examination date
Teaching format
Workshops & Pannel Talks
Teaching language
English
Registration requirements and link
Fee
No fee
Team budget
HPI Founder Scholarship
Participants
Maximum number of Participants
30
Room (Location)
Hasso Plattner Institute Campus II House L
Key dates
22.10.2026
Foundations
29.10.2026
Navigating Uncertainty
05.11.2026
Building a Thesis-Driven Fund
12.11.2026
VC Law Essentials
19.11.2026
Live Jury
Learning and Teaching Methods
The program consists of five live sessions, including a hands-on "Navigating Uncertainty" workshop and a live jury presentation, to gain practical knowledge and engage with real VC frameworks.
Session 1: Foundations
GP/LP structures, fund economics (the famous 2 and 20), the investment process end-to-end, funding stages from pre-seed to IPO, key metrics, and what roles actually exist inside a fund and how automation and tooling shape modern fund operations, with Michael Mansfeld (HPVC) and Katharina Schild (Cathay Innovation).
Session 2: Navigating Uncertainty
A hands-on workshop putting you in the investor's seat: as a VC, how do you push founders to reduce uncertainty and how do you make the call when they can't?
Session 3: Building a Thesis-Driven Fund
What it takes to build conviction around a fund thesis, including the realities of raising and investing as a diversity-focused fund, with Jaren Schipper (identity.vc) and Melusine Bliessener (AENU).
Session 4: VC Law Essentials
Cap tables, term sheets, valuations, and deal structuring, explained by real lawyers from V14.
Session 5: Live Jury
Present your own investment case and defend it in front of a live jury of guest investors, with direct feedback on your reasoning and investment decision.
1. How is a VC fund structured and how does money flow between GPs and LPs?
2. How do VCs source, screen, and evaluate startups?
3. What key metrics and financials do investors look at before writing a check?
4. How do term sheets, cap tables, and deal negotiations actually work?
5. What does it take to build a fund around a specific thesis, including as a diversity-focused fund?
6. How do you make an investment call when uncertainty can't be fully resolved?
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Sarah Luna Mongin
Program Manager
Requirements
Program Structure
Data Rights
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