The MBA Fund
The MBA Fund is a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm that invests in student, alumni, and dropout founders from Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Wharton, and Berkeley Haas, deploying capital through Fund I, Fund II, and an AngelList syndicate.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersPalo Alto, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What The MBA Fund does
The MBA Fund is a venture capital firm founded in 2018 and headquartered in Palo Alto, California, that invests exclusively in student, alumni, and dropout founders from four target business schools: Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and Berkeley Haas. The firm operates a community-led model in which campus investment partners at each school source deals, run pitch competitions, and provide ongoing portfolio support. As of the latest available data, the fund has made more than 150 early-stage investments across Fund I and Fund II, with portfolio outcomes including at least one unicorn (Vise) and a confirmed exit (DataFleets, acquired by LiveRamp).
The fund's core products are its two flagship investment vehicles (Fund I and Fund II) and an invite-only AngelList syndicate that brings later-stage co-investment opportunities to accredited investors. The firm does not sell technology or charge portfolio companies directly; instead, it earns revenue through the standard venture capital model of management fees on committed capital (typically 2%) and carried interest on profitable exits (typically 20%). Portfolio companies also benefit from introductions to follow-on capital from top-tier firms including Sequoia, Founders Fund, Accel, Bessemer, and Lightspeed.
The general partner team is composed of repeat operators and investors: Josh Hoffman-Senn and Hansae Catlett as co-founders and general partners, Hiro Tien as general partner, and Julia Maltby and Iynna Halilou as additional general partners. The firm runs a continuous sourcing engine through student campus leads, publishes content via a company blog, and conducts annual pitch competitions at target schools. A recent strategic extension includes cross-border co-investment, with participation in Beijing-based ThetaWave AI's Pre-A round in January 2026.
The MBA Fund firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The MBA Fund
- Legal name
- The MBA Fund
- Website
- https://thembafund.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The MBA Fund is a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm that invests in student, alumni, and dropout founders from Harvard Business School, Stanford GSB, Wharton, and Berkeley Haas, deploying capital through Fund I, Fund II, and an AngelList syndicate.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The MBA Fund industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early-Stage Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where The MBA Fund is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palo Alto
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
The MBA Fund business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Fund Management: The MBA Fund generates revenue through management fees on committed capital from Fund I and Fund II, plus carried interest (performance fees) on successful exits and returns to LP investors. Additional revenue comes from their AngelList syndicate management.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The MBA Fund product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The MBA Fund is a venture capital firm that provides early-stage equity capital to student, alumni, and dropout founders from Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Wharton, and Berkeley Haas. It deploys capital through two flagship funds (Fund I and Fund II) and an invite-only AngelList syndicate for later-stage co-investments. Beyond capital, the firm offers portfolio companies operational support, hiring assistance, customer introductions, and access to follow-on investors such as Sequoia, Founders Fund, Accel, Bessemer, and Lightspeed.
Product overview
The MBA Fund is a venture capital firm offering a unified investment platform rather than a product suite. Its core offerings consist of two flagship funds (Fund I and Fund II) that provide early-stage capital to founders from top business schools, supplemented by an AngelList syndicate for later-stage deal participation. The firm's portfolio spans over 100 companies across various sectors including fintech, healthtech, AI, and enterprise software. The fund does not offer a technology product but rather investment capital, network access, and operational support to portfolio companies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Core Funds (Fund I and Fund II) Flagship early-stage venture capital vehicles that have made over 150 investments in student, alumni, and dropout founders from Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, and The Wharton School, providing equity capital plus operational and network support.
- AngelList Syndicate Invite-only AngelList syndicate managed by The MBA Fund that brings later-stage deals to accredited investors, allowing them to invest alongside the firm on a deal-by-deal basis.
Companies that use The MBA Fund
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
The MBA Fund technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The MBA Fund partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- AngelListcoreThe MBA Fund manages an invite-only syndicate on AngelList, bringing later-stage deals to accredited investors for co-investment opportunities on a deal-by-deal basis.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The MBA Fund competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Pear VC: Pre-seed and seed venture firm co-founded by Pejman Nozad and Mar Hershenson with deep Stanford and university roots; competes for the same Stanford MBA/alumni founders and offers a larger platform.
- Backstage Capital: Early-stage fund investing in underestimated founders including those from underrepresented business school backgrounds; competes for the same alumni-led pre-seed deal flow at top schools.
- HOF Capital: Multi-stage venture firm where MBA Fund co-founder Hansae Catlett is also a Partner; invests in applied AI, B2B software, and deep tech, overlapping with The MBA Fund's sector exposure and co-investor universe.
- Moxxie Ventures: Pre-seed and seed fund focused on diverse and non-traditional founders; previous employer of Iynna Halilou and a likely co-investor or competitor in the same early-stage MBA-founder pipeline.
Direct peers
- Dorm Room Fund: Student-led venture fund backed by First Round Capital that invests in founders with student or recent-graduate backgrounds; operates a campus investment partner model nearly identical to The MBA Fund's sourcing approach.
- Rough Draft Ventures: Pre-seed fund backed by General Catalyst that invests in student founders using a network of student venture partners at universities; competes for the same early signal on student-led startups.
- Contrary Capital: Venture firm built on a network of student analysts at top universities who source and support early-stage startups; mirrors The MBA Fund's reliance on campus talent for deal flow and community-driven thesis.
Emerging players
- South Park Commons: Founder community and pre-seed fund that engages technologists and operators, including those from top universities; overlaps with The MBA Fund's community-led pre-seed model.
Others
- Flybridge Capital: Early-stage venture firm where General Partner Julia Maltby also invests; overlapping LP/investor base and likely co-investor in portfolio companies emerging from the MBA Fund pipeline.
- Bessemer Venture Partners: Top-tier multi-stage VC and frequent follow-on investor in The MBA Fund's portfolio companies; also the prior employer of co-founder Hansae Catlett, making it both a co-investor and an ecosystem anchor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The MBA Fund social profiles
Digital presenceThe MBA Fund financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The MBA Fund leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
The MBA Fund funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The MBA Fund M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments75 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The MBA Fund
What does The MBA Fund do?
The MBA Fund is a venture capital firm that provides early-stage equity capital to student, alumni, and dropout founders from Harvard Business School, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Wharton, and Berkeley Haas. It deploys capital through two flagship funds (Fund I and Fund II) and an invite-only AngelList syndicate for later-stage co-investments. Beyond capital, the firm offers portfolio companies operational support, hiring assistance, customer introductions, and access to follow-on investors such as Sequoia, Founders Fund, Accel, Bessemer, and Lightspeed.
Is The MBA Fund a public or private company?
The MBA Fund is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was The MBA Fund founded?
The MBA Fund was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The MBA Fund based?
The MBA Fund is headquartered in Palo Alto, United States, in the North America region.
How does The MBA Fund make money?
One revenue line is on record: fund Management.
Who are The MBA Fund's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Pear VC, Backstage Capital, HOF Capital and Moxxie Ventures. Direct peers are Dorm Room Fund, Rough Draft Ventures and Contrary Capital. South Park Commons is listed as an emerging player. Others are Flybridge Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners.
Does The MBA Fund have an API?
No public API is recorded for The MBA Fund.
What industry is The MBA Fund in?
The MBA Fund's product category is Early-Stage Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAI, Micro-VC & Angel Funds, with a secondary code of FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 52394 and its SIC code is 6282.