CatalyzU Venture Capital Fellowship

Advanced

STARTING DATE

4 April 2024

DURATION

10 Weeks

APPLICATIONS CLOSE

4 March 2024

TUITION

$1600

FORMAT

Online

About

The advanced edition of the CatalyzU Venture Capital Fellowship provides a deeper dive into the world of venture capital. It equips Fellows with an understanding of the underlying philosophy of venture capital, how it compares to other asset classes, and how venture capitalists make money. More granularly, it also details the investment process and instruments VCs use, their portfolio management process, and their fund performance assessments. It then builds on these topics with deep dives into thesis building, conducting due diligence, impact investing, and VC legals. 

This curriculum is delivered through live, online lectures taught by leading venture capitalists both within the African continent and globally.

Learning outcome

The Advanced Fellowship best suits those already working at a startup or venture capital firm or, alternatively, within another business-related field. The primary learning outcome is to allow Fellows to understand key venture capital topics at a high enough level to seamlessly integrate into a full time role – such as that of an Investment Associate, Investment Principal, or even Junior Partner – at a top-tier VC firm. Given the complementary skill sets, many CatalyzU graduates who entered as startup founders utilize their newly acquired knowledge to raise venture capital funding for their startups.

Alumni Support Ecosystem

Following the completion of the Fellowship, all successful graduates will ascend to the designation of a ‘Young African Catalyst’ – the name for alumni of CatalyzU. This includes (complimentary) access to the entirety of the esteemed Young African Catalyst network, comprised of the leading founders and venture capitalists from across all four corners of the continent. 

Curriculum

Grading

To earn a certificate, students must attend 80% of sessions and achieve a passing grade across all three assignments and the capstone. Assignments will be graded as an outstanding effort, pass or not passed only and not receive individual scores. Students can appeal a not passed grade. Rubrics will be provided with every assignment to help students understand what each grade requires. Three out of the four assignments must be an outstanding effort to be awarded the certificate with distinction. Assignments submitted after the deadline will not be considered. All assignments must be a pure reflection of your own understanding and effort.

 

Requirements

  • Stable internet connection
  • Availability to join synchronous, online lectures
  • Diligence to submit assignments and quizzes before the due date
  • No prior knowledge required in Venture Capital

Delivery

The Fellowship is delivered over twenty ±2 hour sessions across ten weeks with a one week break in the middle. This translates into up to four hours of scheduled sessions per week which is delivered virtually. The sessions are not recorded and are delivered live requiring you to attend each session. Attendance at 80% of sessions counts towards successful completion of the Fellowship.

 

FAQ

When will I hear back from CatalyzU?
  • Typically within 10 days of applying as applications are processed on a rolling basis.
  • Note considering the rolling acceptance process and our limited capacity, applying early is beneficial.
What is a Young African Catalyst?
  • A Young African Catalyst is a member of our esteemed CatalyzU Alumni Community. By way of characteristics, it is a young leader in the African startup & venture ecosystem.
  • At inception, CatalyzeU (formerly Young African Catalysts) focussed on individuals within the Venture Capital ecosystem that were under the age of 35, operating on the continent and catalyzing investment to startups. YAC connected VCs with one another to support their day to day function. Moving forward, YAC will do this for YACs in the entire venture ecosystem. 
  • During our pilot, this was restricted to the VC ecosystem. It has now been expanded to our continent’s entire startup & venture ecosystem.
  • All graduates from a CatalyzU Fellowship program (such as CatalyzU into Venture Capital – Fundamentals) are admitted in the CatalyzU Alumni Ecosystem and awarded Young African Catalysts status.
Do you offer scholarships / financial aid?
  • We offer need-based financial aid on a case-by-case basis. This process is determined post a candidate’s acceptance into the fellowship. 
  • The advanced edition of the CatalyzU Venture Capital Fellowship has a maximum scholarship of 50% of the total tuition fee. In other words, a candidate can receive a $800 scholarship, and would then owe $800’s in tuition to be paid ahead of the first day of lectures.
  • We are working with Corporates for additional scholarships to the above – keep an eye on our socials for more! 
How much time is required per week?

Approximately 8 hours per week

Do you guarantee a job in the startup & venture ecosystem for graduates?

No, but our success rate currently stands at around 50% of graduates within the first 6 weeks post-graduation.