What Fund That Tiger does

Fund That Tiger is a Clemson, South Carolina-based venture capital fund that invests exclusively in startups founded or led by Clemson University alumni, students, faculty members, or tech transfer licensees. The fund operates as Fund That Tiger I, LLC, was founded in 2025 by Joe Milam (Clemson Class of '95) and Matt Johnson (Clemson BA '07, MBA '21), and is wholly independent of Clemson University. Its stated purpose is to provide capital, mentorship, and alumni-network access to early-stage technology companies emerging from the Clemson ecosystem.

The fund targets $10 million in committed capital for Fund I, with an initial close of $1 million announced on March 31, 2026. Investments range from $100,000 to $1 million per company at pre-seed through Series A stages, with a stated preference for pre-money valuations below $20 million and a target return multiple of 10x or greater. Investment criteria explicitly require at least one full-time founder and that intellectual property be owned or exclusively licensed by the venture; the fund is industry-agnostic but tech-driven or tech-enabled. The fund generates revenue through standard VC economics: management fees on committed capital and carried interest on successful exits. Notable investments attributed to the founding team's prior investing track record include 6AM City, Impiricus, TSOLife, and Viva Finance; the team claims 20+ years of early-stage investing experience, 40+ startups backed, and 6 prior exits.

Beyond direct investing, Fund That Tiger operates a 12-week tech startup incubator launched in January 2026 in partnership with Launchpad GVL in Greenville, South Carolina, and runs an annual $5,000 scholarship plus internship program aimed at building a venture capital talent pipeline. Deal sourcing is driven primarily by warm introductions through the Clemson alumni network, regional angel networks, and the broader Southeastern US startup ecosystem, with the fund noting that it receives high volumes of inbound inquiries and prefers curated introductions over cold outreach.

Name

Fund That Tiger

Legal name

Fund That Tiger I, LLC

Website

https://fundthattiger.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2025

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fund That Tiger is a Clemson, SC-based venture capital fund investing exclusively in startups led by Clemson University alumni, students, faculty, or tech transfer licensees. It deploys $100K-$1M checks at pre-seed through Series A stages.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital Fund Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Micro-VC & Angel Funds (FSANAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Early-Stage Venture Capital (Pre-Seed/Seed) (FSANAAAA), Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB)

Keywords

• Venture capital fund
• Early-stage investing
• Startup funding
• Alumni-led startups
• Pre-seed investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Clemson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Venture Capital Fund Management: Fund That Tiger operates as a traditional venture capital fund generating returns through equity investments in portfolio companies. The fund earns management fees on committed capital and takes carried interest (carry) on successful exits. The fund targets a 10x or greater return multiple on portfolio companies with pre-money valuations below $20 million.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fund That Tiger is a venture capital fund that invests exclusively in Clemson University alumni-led startups and university-born technologies. The fund writes $100K–$1M equity checks from pre-seed through Series A in target companies with pre-money valuations under $20M and the potential for 10x+ returns. Its offerings also include a 12-week tech startup incubator (with Launchpad GVL) and an annual $5,000 scholarship plus student internships supporting future venture talent.

Product overview

Fund That Tiger operates Fund That Tiger I, LLC as its core venture capital fund targeting a $10 million Fund I, providing $100k-$1M investments in Clemson alumni-led startups across pre-seed to Series A stages. The fund is complemented by a tech startup incubator launching January 2026 in partnership with Launchpad GVL, which offers a 12-week program providing mentorship, resources, and seed funding to startups in the Tri-County (Greenville) area. Additionally, the fund supports talent development through an annual $5,000 scholarship and internship program for students pursuing venture capital careers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fund That Tiger I, LLC (Venture Capital Fund) A venture capital fund (Fund I) targeting $10M in committed capital, investing exclusively in Clemson University alumni-led startups and university-born technologies. Writes $100K–$1M equity checks at pre-seed through Series A stages in companies with pre-money valuations below $20M and potential for 10x+ returns. Targets 15 portfolio companies across the Southeast U.S.
• Tech Startup Incubator (with Launchpad GVL) A 12-week tech startup incubator program launched in January 2026 in partnership with Launchpad GVL in Greenville, South Carolina, providing mentorship, resources, and seed funding to startups in the Tri-County area to scale high-potential ideas into viable businesses.
• Fund That Tiger Annual Scholarship and Internship Program An annual $5,000 scholarship awarded to one Clemson student to support their continued path into venture capital, paired with yearly internships for students interested in VC careers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Target 10x or greater return multiple on portfolio companies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Nelson MullinsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 March 2026Nelson Mullins provides legal counsel to the fund. This is a professional services relationship supporting fund operations and compliance.
• Launchpad GVLcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 October 2025Fund That Tiger 1 LLC partnered with Launchpad GVL to announce a new tech startup incubator in Greenville, South Carolina, launching January 2026. The 12-week program aims to support startups in the Tri-County area with mentorship, resources, and seed funding.
• Clemson University Entrepreneurial Ecosystem PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFund That Tiger maintains partnerships with leading investor networks and entrepreneurial support organizations surrounding Clemson University. The fund takes pride in its ecosystem partnerships displayed in logo form on their website, including Launchpad, CU-ICAR, and other Clemson-affiliated organizations.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• 1517 Fund: Early-stage VC fund backing young founders (often students and recent graduates) bypassing traditional pedigrees. Comparable in size stage and founder demographic (student/young alumni-led startups), though 1517 is age-focused rather than university-specific.
• Loyal VC: Pre-seed fund backing student- and alumni-led founders using an automated SPV structure for community investing. Comparable target founder demographic (student-founders, early-stage alumni startups) but uses a different community-based SPV model.
• Tiger 21: Peer-network organization for high-net-worth investors, with shared 'Tiger' branding and a member-led model. While not a venture fund, Tiger 21 represents an adjacent member/co-investor network that LPs and alumni founders may access.

Broad incumbents

• University Ventures: Larger higher-education-focused investment firm targeting education technology and university-derived opportunities. Operates a broader higher-ed mandate than Fund That Tiger's narrow Clemson focus, but addresses similar university-tech-transfer opportunities.

Direct peers

• Alumni Ventures Group: A multi-university alumni-affiliated venture firm operating a 'funds for the alumni of leading universities' model. AVG is the most directly comparable peer, replicating community-led, alumni-driven VC at scale across multiple schools rather than one.
• Duke Venture Fund (DUMAC / Duke Capital Partners): Duke-affiliated venture funds that deploy capital into alumni and student-led startups. Operates an almost identical university-only deal sourcing strategy as Fund That Tiger, making it a direct competitor for similar Southeast founder talent.
• Carolina Venture Partners: University-of-North-Carolina-affiliated VC fund targeting UNC alumni founders across the Southeast. Directly comparable structure (university-affiliated, regional focus, alumni-only mandate) and overlapping LPs and founders with Fund That Tiger.

Regional players

• Goodwater Capital: Southeast-anchored consumer-tech VC fund. Comparable regional targeting and pre-seed through Series A stage coverage, though operating at larger AUM and broader sector mandate than Fund That Tiger.
• Atlanta Ventures: Southeast-focused (Atlanta-anchored) early-stage venture firm targeting regional founders. Overlapping geographic footprint with Fund That Tiger and similar pre-seed/seed check sizes, though not university-affiliated.

Others

• Launchpad GVL: Greenville, SC-based startup incubator that is itself a strategic partner of Fund That Tiger. As a regional incubator and deal-source partner, it serves both as a deal-funnel feed and as an overlapping ecosystem player.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fund-that-tiger

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fund That Tiger