Anchored by the University of Notre Dame
An early-stage venture fund that turns Notre Dame research and talent into companies built to do good and return capital. We invest in startups founded by Notre Dame faculty, researchers, and students, and co-create new ventures in the 1842 Studio.
The 1842 Fund is a pre-seed and seed venture capital fund anchored by the University of Notre Dame and managed by Alloy Partners.
Five commitments to Notre Dame that shape every investment we make.
We turn faculty and researcher inventions into companies, with the scientist on board as a co-founder, so Notre Dame research reaches the people it was meant to help.
We create and back companies built to solve real societal problems, and we track each company's impact alongside its financial return.
Students join 1842 companies as founders, early employees, interns, and VC investors, and learn to build companies by building them.
We co-create and fund high-potential startups that bring jobs and growth to the South Bend–Elkhart region and across Indiana.
We put the 175,000-strong Notre Dame alumni family to work for 1842 founders as customers, advisors, board directors, and investors: an advantage few startups can buy.
We invest at the earliest stage in companies with a real Notre Dame tie, through two channels: founders who come out of Notre Dame's research and student community, and companies we build ourselves in the 1842 Studio.
Faculty, researcher, and student startups. Companies with a Notre Dame faculty, researcher, or student founder, or IP licensed from the University, often coming through the IDEA Center. Few founders start with all five criteria in place, so we help them fill the gaps.
Stage
Pre-Seed or Seed
Check size
$100K to $400K
What we add
Executive and board searches, the investment memo and models you keep for your next raise, and weekly coaching for student founders.
1842 Studio companies. New companies we co-create with an industry partner and a Notre Dame scientific co-founder, each aimed at a societal challenge the partner knows firsthand. We launch one only when all five criteria are met.
Stage
At formation
Check size
$1M to $1.25M
What we add
We recruit the CEO and C-suite co-founders, who start with a validated concept, working prototypes, the memo and models, and a pilot agreement.
Whichever way a company comes to us, it has to meet the same five criteria before we invest.
A sustainable advantage that is hard to copy, such as defensible IP, proprietary data, or privileged distribution and access.
A-level leaders who can lead, hire, and raise. Where a founding team has gaps, we help fill them through executive and board searches.
A compelling market opportunity, validated with real customers, not a promising technology still looking for a problem.
Enough to reach the next financing, not just the next technology or scientific milestone. We invest in companies, not projects.
Alignment with Notre Dame's mission to be a force for good, through the problem the company solves, the people it serves, or the region it builds in.
Startups founded by Notre Dame faculty, researchers, and students, and companies co-created with industry partners in the 1842 Studio.
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