Venture Capital: Master Startup Funding
Immersing entrepreneurs, investors and finance professionals in the full venture capital deal cycle — from fund setup and startup valuation to term sheets and exit strategies.
Course key facts
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Date
16 Apr - 4 June 2026
11 Jun - 30 July 2026
Duration
7 weeks
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Credits
Non credit bearing
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Format
Online
Fee
£1,450
Overview
Venture capital has become an attractive asset class, offering diversification and opportunity to many investors and entrepreneurs. Since 1990, more than 500 European tech companies have crossed the $1 billion milestone, with over 10% of these "unicorns" established in H1 2022. Venture Capital Finance: Master Startup Funding and Investment Strategies will immerse you in venture capital, building confidence in the language, processes, performance metrics, and strategies involved in the entire dealmaking process. The programme gives the perspectives of both investor and investee, yielding a comprehensive view of the entire VC landscape.
The seven week online programme draws on expertise from Imperial faculty, industry experts and case studies. You will also draw on the expertise of your peers.
You will experience live online teaching sessions, video lectures, interactive activities and assignments whilst receiving personal support from a dedicated Learning Team.
You will finish the programme prepared to implement your learnings, and with a verified Digital Certificate.
Learning Journey
Module 1: The Venture Capital Landscape
Module 2: Fund Set-Up and Identifying Investment Opportunities
Module 3: Startup Valuation
Module 4: Deal Structure, Terms, and Negotiation
Module 5: Value Creation: Portfolio Management and Exit Strategies
Module 6: Future of Venture Capital in Developed and Developing Markets
Course details
The programme delves into a variety of topics that cover the entire dealmaking process from the perspective of both sides of an investment. It will help you:
- Communicate key venture capital concepts and vocabulary with fluency and enhance your impact with internal and external stakeholders
- Gain a comprehensive overview of the VC ecosystem and examine its key players and their roles within the system
- Navigate various stages of the VC transaction process from both investor and investee perspectives, including fundraising, fund set-up, negotiation, portfolio management and exit strategy
- Apply the principles of the programme to produce a compelling pitch deck seeking series A (or later) funding that will act as a road map for future dealmaking
This international programme is designed for professionals on either side of a venture capital transaction- both investors, and those seeking early-stage investment capital. The programme will be most relevant for those with some financial market experience, particularly those at early- to mid-career level, and is particularly relevant for the following roles:
- Venture capital professionals, including angel investors, high net worth individuals, and family offices seeking to formalise their knowledge and understanding of the VC investing market to make better decisions and maximise ROI;
- Finance professionals, such as portfolio managers, pension/ mutual fund managers, traders, risk and strategy planners seeking to expand their practice into venture capital markets to grow, diversify, and innovate;
- Entrepreneurs, founders, and senior management of startups and early-growth companies seeking an understanding and practical toolkit for pitching and securing funding (and possibly domain expertise) for their venture
Upon successful completion of this programme, you will receive a verified digital certificate of completion via email.
Note: You will earn the Associate Alumni status upon successful completion of the programme. Visit the Associate Alumni page to find out more.
Take your partnership with Imperial to the next level by becoming an Associate Alumnus. Complete one (1) of our on-campus, online, and virtual programmes to claim 'Associate Alumnus' status and join our active alumni community.
Some of the benefits of becoming an Associate Alumnus include:
- Access to the Imperial Alumni LinkedIn group
- Invites to relevant events and webinars
- 25% Discount on future learning for yourself and up to three your colleagues
If you are interested in finding out more, contact us today!
Course instructors
Marc Kitten
Founding partner, Candesic Strategy ConsultantsMarc Kitten is a founding partner at Candesic Strategy Consultants in London. He has 25 years of experience of transactions and financial markets. He advises corporations and financial investors in the areas of corporate strategy and corporate finance. He serves on the boards of several fast-growing companies. Prior to co-founding Candesic, he was a consultant at McKinsey & Co. In London and a Vice-President at Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt. He is the author of the 2009 Vault Guide to Careers in Private Equity in Europe and has published several case studies.