Yes, please still apply as we will evaluate investments opportunistically.
We expect this process to take no longer than a few weeks.
Ripple Ventures will invest in your company as a part of the Fellow Fund initiative with a $25-50K check. This will be on a standard SAFE note with a valuation cap, and side letters for pro-rata and information rights. The valuation depends on the stage of the company.
No, not every company that receives a Fellow Fund investment will receive a core fund investment from Ripple Ventures but we expect a good portion of the portfolio to. Companies will be evaluated on an individual basis to receive a core fund investment from Ripple Ventures.
No, you do not need to be from an underrepresented group to receive funding but a minimum of 50% of our investments will be allocated toward founders who identify with underrepresented groups.
Our fellowship program and online course have scaled to help student founders and aspiring VCs across the world get access to knowledge and a unique network. The only thing lacking was financial support to offer in tandem with all of our initiatives.
" The RippleX Fellowship community has always been in my corner since day one of building startups. Before Utopia Labs, I was building Thrift.so and basically had Dom (the program lead) as one of my impromptu co-founders to bounce ideas off, strategize sales pitches, figure out pricing, and think about fundraising. Unfortunately, that business shut down, but that led me to build Utopia Labs. Dom encouraged me to build in public and share all of the things I was learning in web3 at the time. That's where I met my co-founders, through Twitter and Linkedin.
After we got the product off the ground, we were thinking about fundraising and I worked closely with him to prepare the fundraising docs, strategize closing the round, and review our legal docs. Shortly after, we closed a seed round with Kindred Ventures and Series A with Paradigm Capital. Dom has been there for me through the lows and I wouldn't have anyone else in my corner."
Kaito Cunningham
CEO @ Utopia Labs
We've built, funded, and sold companies before. Using our experience to guide first-time founders to success in the early days.
Portfolio perks on software and tools, as well as the access to Ripple Ventures' founder, investor and operator network.
Meet other like-minded founders and investors in private group chats and events, where we are dedicated to helping each other succeed.
Access to talent pipeline in the Ripple Ventures and RippleX Fellowship networks to ensure you have the best people building your company.