A Guide To Investing In The 1517 Fund: Strategies And Benefits

The 1517 Fund is a venture capital firm that provides pre-seed and seed funding for technology startups. The fund was founded in 2015 by Danielle Strachman and Michael Gibson and is headquartered in Telluride, Colorado. The fund typically invests in software, hardware, and deep tech sectors, with a focus on supporting makers, hackers, and scientists who work outside tracked institutions. The 1517 Fund has a philosophy of supporting individuals who do not follow traditional paths, such as college dropouts and scientists without credentials. They believe that higher education is not for everyone and encourage people to pursue their passions and learn by doing. The fund has a range of investment sizes, from $50,000 at the idea/R&D stage to $1,000,000 for deep tech/sci-fi seed stage companies, with an average check size of $400,000 for pre-seed investments.

The fund's focus areas

The 1517 Fund is a venture capital fund that supports college dropouts and scientists working on deep tech and software and hardware startups. The fund was started in 2015 by the co-founders of the Thiel Fellowship, Danielle Strachman and Michael Gibson, to expand on the Fellowship's vision. The fund's focus is on makers, hackers, and scientists who want to work outside of tracked institutions, believing that higher education is not for everyone.

The 1517 Fund provides pre-seed and seed funding, with first checks ranging from $50,000 at the idea/R&D stage to $1,000,000 for deep tech/sci-fi seed stage companies. They also offer grants of at least $1,000 to help validate ideas.

How to pitch to the fund

How to pitch to the 1517 Fund

The 1517 Fund is a venture capital fund that supports college dropouts, scientists, and founders working on ambitious projects outside of tracked institutions. The fund was started in 2015 by the co-founders of the Thiel Fellowship, Danielle Strachman and Michael Gibson, to expand on its vision of supporting founders that others don't take seriously. The fund is headquartered in Telluride, Colorado, and has a focus on software, hardware, and deep tech sectors.

The 1517 Fund provides pre-seed and seed funding for technology startups, with initial investments ranging from $50,000 at the idea/R&D stage to $1,000,000 for deep tech/sci-fi seed stage companies. The fund is particularly interested in software, hardware with a data play, deep tech/sci-fi tech, and biotech. However, they place more emphasis on the "who" rather than the "what", backing founders without undergraduate degrees, renegade students, and deep tech scientists.

When pitching to the 1517 Fund, it is important to highlight the unique qualities of your team and the innovative nature of your project. The fund is specifically looking for individuals who are passionate about their work, willing to learn by doing, and interested in creating new technologies. Demonstrating a strong motivation to challenge traditional institutions and work on hard problems will also be advantageous.

In terms of the pitching process, the 1517 Fund accepts written submissions through their website. They claim to read all submissions and usually respond within a few days if they are interested in the project. It is recommended to include as much detail as possible in your pitch to increase your chances of securing funding. This includes a clear explanation of your project's goals, the problem it aims to solve, and how it aligns with the 1517 Fund's investment preferences and values.

The fund's investment stages

The 1517 Fund is a venture capital fund that supports college dropouts, scientists, and founders working on hard problems and deep technology. The fund typically invests in startups across software, hardware, and deep tech verticals, providing pre-seed and seed funding for technology startups.

• Idea/R&D Stage: The 1517 Fund makes initial investments in startups at the idea or R&D stage, with cheque sizes ranging from $50,000 to $500,000. At this stage, they support renegade scientists working on R&D projects and uncredentialed founders working on software, typically with one or two co-founders.
• Pre-Seed Stage: The fund is also active in the pre-seed stage, investing up to $500,000 in startups. They work closely with founders, providing support, community, and follow-on investment as the company grows.
• Seed Stage: 1517 Fund provides seed funding for technology startups, with cheque sizes ranging from $500,000 to $1,000,000 for deep tech/sci-fi seed stage companies. They focus on makers, hackers, and scientists interested in working outside traditional institutions.
• Follow-on Investment: The fund remains involved with the companies they invest in, providing additional investment, support, hires, and community as the company grows and progresses through its lifecycle.

The 1517 Fund is currently closed to new investments, but interested individuals can sign up to be notified of future investment opportunities.

The fund's investment amounts

The 1517 Fund provides pre-seed and seed funding for technology startups. Their first cheques range from $50,000 at the idea/R&D stage to $1,000,000 for deep tech/sci-fi seed stage companies. The average cheque size is a $400,000 pre-seed cheque. The fund also provides grants of at least $1,000 to help validate ideas.

The 1517 Fund is a venture capital fund that supports college dropouts solving hard problems and deep tech scientists with investments at the earliest stages of their companies. The fund was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Telluride, Colorado. It was started by the co-founders of the Thiel Fellowship, Danielle Strachman and Michael Gibson, to expand the vision of the Fellowship and support founders that others don't take seriously.

The 1517 Fund has a particular focus on makers, hackers, and scientists interested in working outside tracked institutions. They believe that higher education is not for everyone and motivate people to work on what they are passionate about, to learn by doing, and to create new technologies.

The fund's investment sectors

The 1517 Fund is a venture capital fund that supports college dropouts and deep tech scientists with investments at the earliest stages of their companies. The fund was founded in 2015 by the co-founders of the Thiel Fellowship, Danielle Strachman and Michael Gibson, and is headquartered in Telluride, Colorado. The fund's investment sectors include:

• Software: 1517 Fund provides pre-seed and seed funding for technology startups, particularly those working on software development. They back founders without undergraduate degrees across most verticals.
• Hardware: The fund invests in hardware startups, particularly those with a data play. They support makers, hackers, and scientists interested in working outside tracked institutions.
• Deep Tech: 1517 Fund supports deep tech scientists and startups working on sci-fi tech and pushing the boundaries of knowledge. They are interested in companies working on projects such as neutral atom quantum computing and deep learning cloud and hardware.
• Biotechnology: The fund has a focus on biotechnology, with an interest in startups working on projects like all-in-one mindfulness apps and automated speech recognition.
• Artificial Intelligence: Artificial intelligence is another key investment sector for 1517 Fund, with an emphasis on supporting teams and startups working outside traditional institutions.

Frequently asked questions