We connect investors
to entrepreneurs
in our communities

Where innovative minds meet

InvestU supports the entrepreneurial ecosystem forged at Arizona State University, bringing together affiliated startups with accredited investors. Linked to the #1 most innovative university and a top research institution, the network will give ASU and Thunderbird supporters unique access to investment opportunities and resources for startups that arise from our students, faculty and the more than half a million alumni around the world.

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Our Goals

ASU InvestU is a premier angel investor network that advances ASU's global entrepreneurial ecosystem, bringing research and technology to market and empowering our student, alumni, and faculty entrepreneurs to succeed.

01

Connect

Connect ASU-affiliated entrepreneurs with capital and resources that accelerate their growth

02

Engage

Engage a diverse network of investors, innovators, and advisors through unique programming and thoughtful connections

03

Invest

Invest in the next generation of entrepreneurs through best-in-class learning experiences and access to deals

  • #1 most innovative school in the U.S.
  • #1 masters in management
  • #1 for internationalism of alumni
  • Top 10 university for research*

*Among universities with no medical school

We're home to:

  • Domestic and International Network
  • Academic Expertise
  • Student Engagement
  • Investing
  • Future Funding
  • Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
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Robust deal flow from the most innovative university

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World-renowned faculty and community experts

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Top students involved in startup research studies

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Domestic and international investment deals

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Access to financial firms for future funding rounds

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Access to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and resources at ASU

How it works

InvestU supports the global ASU community with an investing platform and process that leverages the power of the university’s robust network of world-renowned faculty, exceptional students and innovative resources. Curated deal flow, detailed investment reports, and quarterly pitch events enable investors to make informed decisions in a timely manner. Plus, InvestU companies enjoy access to a community of investors, mentors, and advisors that support their growth well beyond pitch day.

Transparent and Detailed Company
Characteristics in Five Key Areas:

  • Team, Advisors, & Board of Directors
  • Problem/Market Fit
  • Product or Service
  • Business Model, Distribution Plan, and Strategy
  • Financials

Invest with us

If you’re interested in joining a group of experienced and diverse leaders who care about investing and supporting affiliated early-stage startups, we’d love for you to join our entrepreneurship ecosystem. These vetted startups are prepped, well studied, and ready to talk to you about their unique business opportunities.

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Unique investment opportunities

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Access to an online platform to manage your investments

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Student and founder engagement

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Investor meetings and entrepreneurial events

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Exposure to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and resources at ASU

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Angel Capital Association membership, workshops, and events


Membership types and fees

Membership fees are charitable contributions made to ASU Enterprise Partners in support of Arizona State University’s global entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Institutional Investor

$3,000 annually

Whether you are an early-stage fund, venture studio, VC, or family office an InvestU membership provides institutional investors with the earliest access to robust deal flow emanating from the country’s most innovative university. Our team will understand your investment preferences and help you identify, vet, and connect with the most promising ventures and technologies, plus you will gain access to our network of investors for syndicating deals.

Individual Investor

$1,000 annually

You’re an accredited investor who is passionate about entrepreneurship and actively investing in startups. As an InvestU member, you will have access to curated deal flow, unique engagement opportunities, and a network of like-minded investors to support your investing goals. Whatever your level of investment experience, our team is here to help you navigate each step of the early stage investing process.

Virtual Alumni Investor

$500 annually

If you are an ASU or Thunderbird alumni living outside of Arizona, we are pleased to offer special pricing for virtual access to the same curated deal flow and investor resources provided for Individual Investors. You can join pitch events live via Zoom and participate in the investment process from anywhere in the world. Accredited investor status is required.

Member benefits

InstitutionalIndividualVirtual
Investing Ability

Ability to invest in InvestU startups

YesYesYes
Pitch Events

Attendance at InvestU pitch events

In person or virtualIn person or virtualVirtual only
Online Investment Platform

Access to Dealum to view detailed company information and manage your portfolio

Yes, up to 3 accountsYes, 1 accountYes, 1 account
Company Research Studies

Detailed faculty and student-led company study detailing: team, product, market, strategy and distribution plan, and financial information

YesYesYes
Angel Capital Association Membership

National angel investing organization that hosts conferences, trainings, and provides resources to investors

YesYesYes
Mentoring Opportunities

Ability to mentor students and founders throughout the InvestU process

YesYesYes
Committee Participation

Ability to join one or more InvestU member committees: Deal Review, Diligence, and Investment

YesYesYes
ASU Entrepreneurship Events

Invitations to university-wide entrepreneurship-related events

YesYesNo
Social Events

Dinners, happy hours, or other social events to foster community within InvestU

YesYesNo
Syndicate Deals

Ability to nominate deals for the network without an ASU affiliation, provided you are the lead investor

YesNoNo
InvestU Marketing Spotlight

Highlight your firm in an InvestU newsletter or our founder’s resource guide to increase exposure across our community of entrepreneurs and investors

YesNoNo
Technology Licensing Opportunities

Facilitated access to Skysong Innovations for reviewing and licensing intellectual property from the university. Perfect for venture studios and corporations looking for a concierge-based approach to finding new, innovative technologies.

YesNoNo
Portfolio Support

Provide your portfolio companies dedicated access to ASU resources. We can help your companies hire top talent from the largest school for engineering and technology in the nation and access high-level research equipment and scientific subject matter experts to achieve their goals.

YesNoNo
Cost
$3,000 annually$1,000 annually$500 annually

Supporting venture success

We’re more than just a traditional angel network, we're invested in the success of your business every step of the way

InvestU provides a platform to connect affiliated ventures with the capital, connections, and resources needed to accelerate growth. To participate, your company should have a tie to ASU or Thunderbird, be in early revenue or near commercialization, and be raising early-stage equity capital. In addition to pitch events, our curated resource guide connects companies with mentors, accelerators, professional service providers, business connections, facilities, and more.

We invite companies from all sectors and geographies to apply and look for excellent management teams and innovative solutions that have the potential to transform sectors. The minimum check size from an investor is typically $25K. If you think you fit our criteria below, we’d love to hear from you. Please reach out to us at InvestU@asuep.org with any questions you may have.

Startup Criteria
ASU or Thunderbird affiliation
Raising Seed or preSeries A equity capital of $200,000 to $2 million or syndicating laterstage equity financings with an existing or new lead investor
Fully formed, fulltime management team
Early commercial revenue or strong record of grant funding to validate technology
Large addressable market
Demonstrated product/market fit

Our Portfolio

Since 2019, InvestU has connected 15 companies with more than $4M in direct angel investment plus countless resources to drive business growth. These companies have gone on to raise more than $150M in follow-on funding and generated 330+ jobs. Our portfolio companies represent the diversity of our university ecosystem, spanning from MedTech to SaaS, and are translating innovative technologies to real world impact.

Our innovative team

We’re innovators, investors, academics, and an entrepreneurial community who support startups every step of the way. Our team draws from the Phoenix venture community as well as many dimensions of Arizona State University – from the Thunderbird School of Global Management and W. P. Carey School of Business to the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Skysong Innovations and ASU Enterprise Partners.

Arizona State University Thunderbird School of Global Management

Operations Team

InvestU is a strategic initiative of RealmSpark, a business unit of ASU Enterprise Partners that serves as an umbrella for strategic venture investment and support. The operations team includes a full-time director and supporting staff who provide the following services for the InvestU network: sourcing and screening proprietary deal flow, facilitating the diligence and investment process, managing events and other network operations, and making thoughtful introductions across our community of innovators, investors, and partners.

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Louise Hardman

Director, RealmSpark & Investor Engagement, ASU Enterprise Partners

Samantha-Bradley

Samantha Bradley

Managing Director, RealmSpark, ASU Enterprise Partners

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Katie Cross

Special Projects Coordinator, ASU Enterprise Partners

Rebeca-Hwang

Rebeca Hwang

Experienced venture capitalist and entrepreneur, Professor of Practice at Thunderbird School of Global Management, Senior Director for Thunderbird’s Center for Global Entrepreneurship and Family Business

Mindlin

Jeff Mindlin

ASU Enterprise Partners CIO, ASU Sustainability in Investing Faculty, Former CIO of First Allied

charlie-lewis

Charlie Lewis

SkySong Innovations Senior VP of Venture Development, Former Partner of Two VCs

Siddharth

Siddharth Mehta

RealmSpark Student Fellow

aaryn

Aaryn Tennessen

RealmSpark Student Fellow

Committees

The InvestU operations team is supported by investor members and ASU partners who are experienced in analyzing, investing in, and advising early-stage ventures. InvestU members are encouraged to join one or more committees to get involved in the process and share your expertise with peers, students, or founders. To volunteer for a committee, contact InvestU@asuep.org.

  • Deal Review Committee: Selects the top companies for diligence and pitch events
  • Diligence Committee: Mentors student analysts and leads diligence process
  • Investment Committee: Advises founders and tracks portfolio company progress

Hello! We'd like to hear from you!

At ASU, we like to keep our relationships personal. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at InvestU@asuep.org with any questions you may have. We look forward to hearing from you!

 

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