The Stanford Venture Studio is the entrepreneurship center at Stanford Engineering and hosts STVP Sparks—short-term, extracurricular "pop-up classes" on a variety of topics related to entrepreneurship and innovation.
STVP Sparks hosted the class "Fundraising Strategy: Dos and Don’ts" featuring WilmerHale Partner Peter Buckland and NEA Principal Aaron Jacobson. They spoke on how raising capital in any financing environment can be a challenge and covered some of the most commonly asked questions around the fundraising process to demystify what it means to raise venture capital. The session also helped attendees understand how to raise capital from third parties, including selecting the right investors to help achieve goals. Additional topics included how to prepare your company and yourself for the fundraising process, understanding the different sources of capital, and understanding how to talk to investors.