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Dorm Room Fund

Built by students and backed by Midas-List winners and some of the best VCs in the country, we help student founders get all the help they need to take their companies to the next level- while helping our student investors become next generation of venture capitalists

Cambridge, MA, USA

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Description

Dorm Room Fund (DRF) is a student-run venture capital firm backed by First Round Capital. It is designed specifically to invest in startups founded by current undergraduate and graduate students, utilizing a national network of student investment partners to source and vet deals.
  • Pre-Seed & Seed: DRF is almost always the first institutional check for a student founder.
  • Stage: They invest at the earliest possible phase, often when the company is just a prototype or has very early user traction.
  • Method: Founders apply through the Dorm Room Fund application portal.
  • Eligibility: At least one founding member of the team must be a currently enrolled student (undergraduate or graduate) or have graduated within the last 6 months.
  • Materials: A pitch deck and a brief description of the problem being solved are required. 

Eligibility

  • Sector: Industry-agnostic; they invest in everything from SaaS and Consumer Tech to Deep Tech and Bio.
  • Geography: Startups must be based in the United States or Canada.
  • Founder Status: Must be a student-led venture. 



Process

  1. Student Review: The application is reviewed by a "Student Investment Partner" at one of their four regional hubs (Bay Area, New York, Boston, or Philly).
  2. Initial Interview: A 30-minute conversation with a student partner to discuss the vision and team.
  3. Investment Committee: Founders pitch to a larger group of student partners who make the final decision.
  4. First Round Backing: While student-led, all investment decisions are backed by the resources and final oversight of First Round Capital. 

What an Applicant can Obtain

  1. Capital: A standardized check to jumpstart operations.
  2. DRF Network: Access to an elite community of student founders and alumni who have gone on to raise over $2 billion in follow-on funding.
  3. First Round Resources: Access to the First Round Network, including specialized platforms for hiring, scaling, and fundraising.
  4. Mentorship: Direct coaching from the student partners and veteran investors at First Round Capital.