What do Tom Cruise, Elon Musk, and NASA have in common?
Plus how Spotify is testing video, DRF’s Blueprint Investor Track, and a read on tuna biomechanics!
The Syllabus is Dorm Room Fund’s bi-weekly newsletter bringing you the latest news and startup resources for student founders, as well as portfolio updates and job opportunities from our community of companies. Oh, and of course some hot takes.
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What student founders should know
EA = GOAT - If you’re in the market for a next-gen Xbox or Playstation, all EA games could soon be upgraded for free. Read more here.
Video Makes the World Go ‘Round - Looks like Spotify is testing a video podcast platform with two YouTubers. Read more here.
Adios, CGI - Tom Cruise is working with NASA to film a movie aboard the international space station. And yes, Elon Musk is helping him get there. Read more here.
NEW - Announcing Blueprint Investor Track
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our inaugural Blueprint Investor Track: a 6-week, VC masterclass for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students from around the country. Our aim is to provide our cohort with a curriculum, mentorship, and a strong community to develop a ‘blueprint’ on how to jumpstart your journey into venture capital.
Blueprint Investor Track will help participants answer three fundamental questions: What is venture capital? How does it work? What do I need to know to be successful?
We’re partnering with community leaders like BLCK VC, HBCUvc, LTX VC, and First Round Capital to make their wealth of knowledge more accessible to potential student investors. Our fully-remote course is a community-centric learning environment geared toward shedding some light on the obscurities of venture capital. Sessions will focus on topics like how VC funds work, evaluating a startup pitch, sourcing 101, intro to business models, and much more! You’ll be learning from some of the best investors, fund managers, and founders in the game.
We invite all Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students to learn more about Blueprint Investor Track here and apply here by Wednesday, May 27th, 11:59 PM PST.
DRF Community celebrations
Strella Biotechnology, a company that uses biosensors to maximize the freshness of produce throughout the supply chain, has received $3.3 million in seed funding.
Acciyo, a chrome extension that immediately contextualizes news has officially launched on Product Hunt. Smash that upvote button here!
DRF Boston Partner Mariel Rosic was cited in a Nature paper about Dinosaurs! Read her paper here!
Hydrant, a company creating simple, morning hydration mixes using simple ingredients, raised a $5.7 million Series A! Read more here.
Congratulations to all graduating partners; you will be missed!
From the blog
How Student Startups are Adapting to (and Fighting) Covid-19 - Starting a company is hard; doing so during a global pandemic is insanely hard. Read more about the six key ways our community founders have adapted to meet the challenges of COVID-19. Read more here.
A Better, Online Option for Learning Assessments: Why We Funded Thrive Education - Dorm Room Fund is excited to announce our investment in Thrive Education, a company facilitating more accessible online assessments for learning differences, conducted by psychologists and enabled by machine learning. Talk about timely work. Read more here.
[UPDATED] DRF Resource Guide: Running a Startup in Uncertain Times -We’ve continued to work to provide founders with resources to help them navigate an uncertain economy. Scope the updates to our list of resources from top VCs/operators that have built and run startups during periods of economic uncertainty. Read more here.
Additional reading and resources
💰A16z just raised $515 million for a new crypto fund - Read more here.
💪The Ultimate COVID Job Resource Stack - COVID stir craziness is so last month: this MASSIVE Google Sheet contains links to hundreds of job/internship boards, remote positions, talent/layoff lists, and more. Check it out here.
Figma raises $50M - Evidently it’s not just design gurus that love Figma: everyone’s favorite design tool raised $50M, led by A16z. Read more here.
When Tailwinds Vanish - A hot piece making the rounds on VC twitter: what happens when the Internet tailwinds that propelled Silicon Valley’s meteoric growth for decades are stalling out? Read more here.
DinnerCombinator - ChatRoulette meets YC, minus the shady stuff? Sign up to get matched with other founders for a seriously productive Zoom dinner date. Check it out here.
Straight from the Horse’s Mouth - DRF Philly team Managing Partner Adele Li shares wisdom on whether to get in, or stay out, of a career in private investing! Read more here.
COVID blues got you down? - Maybe pants aren’t optional. See 7 tips from our friends at MarketerHire on how to stay positive working from home. Read more here.
Job opportunities from the DRF community
We certainly couldn’t think of a better list of places to work. But we suppose we *might* be a little biased…
Fractal - Systems Engineer Interns (Remote, reach out via email)
Mlkmn - MBA Intern (NYC/Philly)
Blockchain Capital - Research Scholar Intern (Remote)
Thanks for reading
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Working on something big? Apply to be considered for an investment from Dorm Room Fund. Know a student founder we should meet or have comments, questions, or suggestions for the newsletter? Send us an email at info@dormroomfund.com.