Two students at Stanford University have successfully raised $2 million to support and expand an accelerator program tailored for university-affiliated entrepreneurs and recent graduates.
The initiative, known as Breakthrough Ventures, was established by Roman Scott, a recent graduate, and Itbaan Nafi, currently pursuing a master’s degree, as reported by TechCrunch. Initially launched with demo events at Stanford in 2024, the program has now secured financial backing from prominent venture capital entities such as Mayfield and Collide Capital.
According to TechCrunch, the accelerator’s primary goal is to bridge the financial and networking divide for student entrepreneurs. It offers participants grants of up to $10,000, access to legal assistance, mentorship, and computing resources from partners like Microsoft.
Upon program completion, founders are eligible for a potential follow-on investment of $50,000. The program is structured with a combination of in-person gatherings and will culminate in a showcase event at Stanford. The co-founders aim to utilize their $2 million fund across three years to support the incubation of a minimum of 100 start-ups, as detailed in the report.
