Forget the big-city VCs—the most crucial first check for a student startup is being written by Strato VC, a student-led fund operating right in the heart of Madison's entrepreneurial energy.

In this episode, we sit down with Shradha, Romeo, and James from Strato VC, one of the most exciting new organizations building the founder ecosystem at UW-Madison. They are a student-led, student-operated venture fund that invests in undergraduate entrepreneurs with idea-stage companies. We get their firsthand perspective on what it’s really like to be a venture capitalist and explore Strato's crucial role in transforming our campus's startup landscape.

We dive into:

• A clear breakdown of what a Venture Capital firm is, where they get their money, and why founders need to care.
• Pre-seed, Seed, and Series A—we demystify the stages of venture funding and what VCs expect to see at each level.

• How Strato’s due diligence process differs when evaluating a fellow student and how they assess 'exit potential.'

• How an investor handles the tough conversation when a funded team starts to go "off the rails."

Shradha: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shradha-godishala/

Romeo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romeo-trikolas-347083267/

James: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesotoole8/

Strato VC website: https://stratovc.com/

Strato VC Events: https://luma.com/stratovc?k=c