Benefits
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Learn to Understand Venture Capital
Attention
Understand how venture capital actually works, from fund structures and deal sourcing to term sheets and founder negotiations. You'll gain a hands-on, investor-side perspectives on the startup funding ecosystem.
Term(s)
Time investment
2 hours / live session
around 3 hours for the simulation (async)
ECTS
No ECTS credits (you get an HPI certificate)
Module type
Module selection at HPI
Grades
No grades (winner receives a 1-1 coffee chat with a VC)
Enrollment deadline
04.05.2026 (midnight)
Examination date
Teaching format
Teaching language
English
Registration requirements and link
Fee
No fee
Team budget
HPI Founder Scholarship
Participants
Maximum number of Participants
Room (Location)
Hasso Plattner Institute Campus II House L
Key dates
06.05.2026
Introduction to VC
13.05.2026
Key Metrics & Financials
20.05.2026
Negotiation in Simulation
27.05.2026
Sourcing & Screening
Learning and Teaching Methods
The program consists of three live sessions and one Harvard Business School simulation to gain practical knowledge and engage with real VC frameworks.
Session 1: What is Venture Capital?
GP/LP structures, fund economics (the famous 2 and 20), the investment process end-to-end, funding stages from pre-seed to IPO, and what roles actually exist inside a fund.
Session 2: Key Terms & Metrics
Cap tables, term sheets, valuations, and exit strategies, the stuff that actually decides if a deal gets done explained by real lawyers from V14.
Harvard Business Simulation
You'll negotiate startup funding scenarios as either a founder or a VC, managing the full cycle from valuation to closing terms.
Session 3: Sourcing & Screening
How modern VCs find deals using tools like Crunchbase, PitchBook, and Dealroom. You'll write your own 60-second fund pitch, role-play founder calls, and learn how to say no.
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?
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Sarah Luna Mongin
Program Manager
Requirements
Program Structure
Data Rights
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