U-M Based Student-Led Investment Funds

Wolverine Venture Fund
The $5.5 million dollar Wolverine Venture Fund invests primarily in early stage companies. The Fund is one of the world's first VC funds where students are partners in the investment decision-making process. The Fund's students members seek, screen and negotiate investments and develop significant experience in these areas - and in working with VCs and entrepreneurs. An advisory board of professional venture capitalists and entrepreneurs, and approximately 28 MBA students participate in managing this multi-million dollar fund.

Frankel Commercialization Fund
The Frankel Commercialization Fund is a pre-seed investment fund established to identify and accelerate the commercialization of great ideas generated within the University community and the surrounding area. Frankel Fund participants (Frankel Fellows) evaluate and invest in early stage entrepreneurial opportunities to learn about the commercialization process and how to be a seed investor. The Frankel Fund teams, focused on healthcare, technology, consumers, and cleantech, work closely with founders, entrepreneurs and with the University of Michigan's Office of Technology Transfer in the course of their work. The Fund is also supported by an advisory board comprised of individuals who have been successful in developing early-stage companeis, markets and technologies.

Social Venture Fund
Launched in September of 2009, the Social Venture Fund is the first student-led investment fund of its kind and the first to close a deal among other such funds that have launched. The Fund focuses exclusively on for-profit social enterprises existing independently or within the legal structure of a pre-existing organization (LC3, 501c3, LLC, etc.). It invests $50,000-$250,000 in pre-revenue and post-revenue companies generating a profit and responding to critical challenges within Education, Food Systems, Environment, Health, and Urban Revitalization. It is focused on businesses based in the U.S. and is particularly interested in plans for the Southeast Michigan/Detroit area.