The NFX Fellows Program offers PhD, MD, MS, or MBA students a chance to engage in early-stage investing by sourcing and evaluating startups, building campus relationships, and hosting entrepreneurship events. Fellows gain insights into innovation while receiving mentorship from NFX investors.
Note: The NFX Bio Fellows program is currently live for current and incoming Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, MIT, and Buck Institute students. We plan to open up our program to students at other universities in the future.
To apply to the NFX Fellowship, please fill out the below application by Sunday, May 31st at 11:59 PM PST
Who we are
Creating something of true significance starts with seeing things others do not.
This ability shows up in rare founders. Those who see the world differently and run through walls to make their vision happen.
As founders, we reinvented industries this way. We built 10 companies with more than $10 Billion in exits and know what it takes not just to create massive value, but also enduring change.
We invest at the pre-seed and seed stage. Everything we do is about giving Founders an edge. We have built a 30+ person team that supports our Founders in all aspects of building their companies. We also create free software and content to benefit the broader Founder community we can’t invest in.
We’re looking for a few exceptional students per school to be our thought partners on campus.
Who you are: a PhD, MD, MS, or MBA (focus on biotech/healthcare) student. Who...
Can’t resist being around startups. Maybe you’ve been a founder yourself. You’ve worked at a fast growing startup, or have evaluated startups as an investment. You have late night jam sessions with founder friends. You’re a student of innovation and always find yourself gravitating towards it.
Got a lot of hustle. At the core VC is a service job. In fact, it’s a sales job. Founders are our clients, and we pride ourselves on our hustle, speed, decisiveness, empathy, dexterity, patience, endurance.
Are one amazing human being. Strong at heart, generous in spirit. Charismatic, passionate, perceptive, humble, driven, humorous, and confident…by that we mean not just “I can do it” confident, but “It’s ok if I can’t do it” confident. We’ll be working closely together; we want to be inspired by you and learn from you!
We will probably *not* be a good fit for you if: You’ve always succeeded at everything; you want to work alone; you care more about what other people think than what you believe; you’re just looking for a gold star on your resume.
About the Fellowship
Here is what the past NFX fellows said about their experience:
- "If you want to get your first taste of early stage investing, you have to be involved with NFX. They are willing to spend time with you and teach you the ropes and are genuinely founder friendly."
- "In five years I will look back at the NFX Fellows Program and think this is where I really kick started my career in VC."
- "NFX Fellowship is an amazing program with great people, take advantage and become a strategic pillar on campus.......It was fantastic."
- "I learned more as an NFX Fellow than I did during my year of MBA classes."
As an NFX Fellow, you'll be our eyes and ears within your school's ecosystem. Fellows have the opportunity to:
- Get experience in sourcing, evaluating, and supporting companies
- Develop a sense for evaluating promising startups
- Build relationships with student founders and entrepreneurship communities
- Develop insight into the current white hot areas of innovation
- Connect inspiring founders with the NFX team and help evaluate their companies and products
- Host on-campus events for student entrepreneurship communities (i.e. pitch competitions, hackathons, network effects workshops, etc.)
- Attend an in-person retreat in San Francisco (Oct 24-26) with NFX investors and fellows from all of the schools (Harvard, Stanford, Berkeley, MIT, Buck Institute)
In short, you will be exposed to the ins and outs of being a seed stage investor. Here are more details:
- As a fellow, you will meet with different members of the NFX team regularly and have additional ad hoc meetings at different points of the school year.
- As a fellow, you will share regular updates to the NFX team to provide updates/status check-ins. You can expect about 10 hrs/week of time commitment as a fellow.
- The fellows will receive a monthly stipend.
- If your first year as a fellow is successful, you may get an opportunity to extend the fellowship for your second year.
About NFX
NFX is the venture firm we wish existed when we were running startups. We’ve invested in companies like Trulia, Lyft, DoorDash, Poshmark, Honeybook, and Patreon, and we’ve been the first money in standout companies coming out of US campuses such as Mammoth Biosciences, Seso Labor, and many others.
Here are some of the software products we’re building for the startup ecosystem:
- Signal, The network of VC’s, Founders, Scouts, and Angels
- BriefLink, the tool for Founders to pitch VC’s
Here is where we share our learnings with founders:
- https://www.nfx.com/essays
- https://brieflink.com/best_fundraising_advice/
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What you need to know about the NYC Tech Scene
As the undisputed financial capital of the world, New York City is an epicenter of startup funding activity. The city has a thriving fintech scene and is a major player in verticals ranging from AI to biotech, cybersecurity and digital media. It also has universities like NYU, Columbia and Cornell Tech attracting students and researchers from across the globe, providing the ecosystem with a constant influx of world-class talent. And its East Coast location and three international airports make it a perfect spot for European companies establishing a foothold in the United States.
Key Facts About NYC Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 549,200; 6% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Capgemini, Bloomberg, IBM, Spotify
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, Fintech
- Funding Landscape: $25.5 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Greycroft, Thrive Capital, Union Square Ventures, FirstMark Capital, Tiger Global Management, Tribeca Venture Partners, Insight Partners, Two Sigma Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: Columbia University, New York University, Fordham University, CUNY, AI Now Institute, Flatiron Institute, C.N. Yang Institute for Theoretical Physics, NASA Space Radiation Laboratory
