Do you want a career in venture capital?

With a passion for entrepreneurship, working in venture capital allows you to make an impact from the ground up by investing in those you believe in. The VC world can be daunting, so our goal is to provide you with the skills to make a difference.

  • In this course you will learn the practical fundamentals of venture capital and understand what's required to start a career in VC as a student

  • You will learn exactly what makes a startup great, directly from Canada's top investors

  • You will have access to detailed breakdowns behind real VC deals, the decision processes of real investors, and an abundance of other resources to guide your education

Why Front Row Ventures?

Our mission is to inject the venture capital mindset across communities. All proceeds are reinvested back into improving the Blueprint and training associates.

Front Row Ventures is the leading venture capital fund investing entirely in student-led startups in Canada. We have invested in 30+ companies that have gone on to raise over $65M in follow-on capital. Every year, we train 50+ talented student from 20+ campuses across Canada to become VC investors. Training people to understand venture is our bread and butter! Having trained 200+ students, FRV is now proud to open our internal training to the public. Through the VC Blueprint, we hope to further foster entrepreneurship and together build a community that supports the startup ecosystem.

Course Modules

The most comprehensive venture capital 101 with 8hrs+ of video content, refined through training 200+ FRV associates.

    1. Welcome

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. The Venture Capital Blueprint: Our Aim

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. What to Expect

      FREE PREVIEW

    4. The VC Blueprint Slack Community!

    1. Introduction

      FREE PREVIEW

    2. Definitions

      FREE PREVIEW

    3. What Makes A Startup VC Backable?

      FREE PREVIEW

    4. The Startup Lifecycle

      FREE PREVIEW

    5. Bootstrapping and Pre-Seed

      FREE PREVIEW

    6. Pre-Seed Rounds to Series C+

      FREE PREVIEW

    7. Exits, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&As) and Going Public

      FREE PREVIEW

    8. VC Mentor Masterclass

      FREE PREVIEW

    1. Introduction

    2. The Structure of VC Funds

    3. Fund Economics and Returns Metrics

    4. VC Mentor Masterclass

    1. Introduction

    2. Defining All-Star Entrepreneurs

    3. How to Test Founders, What to Look for and What to Avoid

    4. Finding All-Star Entrepreneurs

    5. The FRV Investment Process

    6. Practical Due Diligence Tips

    7. VC Mentor Masterclass

    1. Introduction

    2. Understanding Risks in Pre-Seed Investing

    3. Type I vs Type II Error in Venture Capital

    4. Risk Analysis Framework

    5. VC Mentor Masterclass

    1. Introduction

    2. FRV's Investment Memo and Committee

    3. Writing Strong Investment Memos

    4. The Investment Committee Meeting

    5. The Investment Decision

    6. VC Mentor Masterclass

About this course

  • $99.00
  • 62 lessons
  • 7.5 hours of video content

Your Instructors

Masterclasses built with the best venture capitalists across Canada.

Partner at Brightspark Ventures Eleonore Jarry-Ferron

“Hi! I’m a Partner at Brightspark Ventures and the co-founder of Front Row Ventures. We wrote the very first version of the Blueprint while I was myself learning the ropes of venture capital at Brightspark Ventures, right after graduating from university. Each module is carefully designed for newcomers in the industry and based on lessons from VC veterans. I had the chance to have exceptional mentors that nurtured me into becoming a solid investor, and the VC Blueprint is a great way to pass it forward. FRV’s VC Blueprint will teach you the fundamentals of venture capital while equipping you with practical mental frameworks to actually do the job.”

Principal at Vestigo Ventures Frazer Anderson

"Bonjour Hi! I'm an early-stage investor at Vestigo Ventures and a proud mentor at Front Row Ventures. As a McGill alumni, I've been well-aware of the high level of student talent in Montreal but have been floored by the poise and precocity of the investors I've worked with at FRV. I've thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to pay it forward and am excited to share some of the lessons I have learned with you (so you don't have to make all my mistakes)!"

Investment Analyst at Amplitude Ventures Anish Kaushal, MD

"I'm Anish and I'm an analyst at Amplitude Ventures, one of Canada's largest healthcare venture funds. I've been a part of FRV's ecosystem now for several years as a VC mentor and I'm continually surprised by what they're building. They've been able to help teach students the ins and outs of VC better than anything I've seen. This is something I wish I had when I was starting out in the VC industry and you'll learn so much more than you thought."

Chief of Staff at RenoRun, Advisor at Inovia Capital Alex Barrett

"I’m Alex Barrett, an investor at Inovia Capital. Inovia Capital is an early and growth-stage Canadian-based venture fund, and with FRV targeting early-stage student entrepreneurs I feel right at home with their mission. The VC landscape is ever-growing and it’s become increasingly clear that the more perspectives the better. Front Row Ventures has continuously surprised me with their dedication and effort to bring about diversity and this course is the perfect example of that. Regardless of where you are in your career, this is a great way to learn about venture capital."

Former Associate at Real Ventures Laura Easton

"Hi! I’m an Associate at Real Ventures, Canada’s most active early-stage VC. FRV’s rigorous and community-driven approach to training & immersing students in the VC world is based on learnings from dozens of investment firms and investors. The startup ecosystem, like any other, is about give & take. By helping others understand and build their skillsets in the otherwise opaque field of Venture Capital, we can together provide greater support to the startup ecosystem. FRV’s VC Blueprint leverages practiced methods to do just that!"

Principal at Luge Capital Laviva Mazhar

"Hi, I'm a Principal at Luge Capital, a fintech-focused VC firm. I've been in the early stage fintech investment space for 5 years and have learned a lot from early-stage startup creation, from building to investing. FRV plays a crucial role in exposing student talents to the world of venture capital, which is not something you can get in the classroom. I entered the VC space within the first year of my graduation so I truly appreciate the knowledge and experience FRV provides to its team members. You can learn a lot from FRV's VC Blueprint by hearing from people actually working in the industry. "

  • Learn

    Complete 10 modules curated and taught by the best Front Row Ventures has to offer, with a certification upon completion. Modules consist of texts, 8 hours of video content, and assignments for you to fully assimilate and make the most out of this course.

  • Practice

    Modules include hands-on assignments to help you practice what you’ve learned. Diving deeper into real-life examples of FRV portfolio companies allows you to truly grasp all concepts.

  • Network

    Access a tailored module dedicated to VC recruitment and countless instructor masterclasses. This course comes with the opportunity to learn at the hands of the countries top venture capitalists and receive guidance on breaking into venture capital.

Alumni Testimonials

"The 0 to 1 that took me into venture."

Matt He, Analyst at Brightspark Ventures (Prev. Intern at White Star Capital, Associate at FounderFuel, Director at FRV)

"While there’s an ocean of VC content online, only FRV’s Blueprint is structured in the 0 to 1 way that outsiders like myself needed to break into venture. This was the first step of the journey into my dream career, and I cannot imagine a better launchpad for students trying to do the same. If you want to explore venture capital, this is the practical guide you’ve been looking for."

"FRV's Blueprint is to VC what BIWS is to investment banking."

Sean McNally, Growth Equity at Georgian (Prev FRV, National Bank).

The program is structured like a tree – the roots and trunk provide the requisite foundational knowledge but is clustered with hundreds of branches available for further detail. This makes it perfect for someone recruiting in venture capital, looking for an edge at their new VC gig, or just curious to learn more about this fascinating space.

"This kicked off my career in venture."

Loïc Souêtre, Venture Capitalist at Panache Ventures (Prev FRV, Fundica).

The venture capital industry is a very opaque universe. FRV unpacks what it takes to be a VC by being on the field, doing deals, but mostly understanding the mindset needed to work with early-stage founders. An investor is an investor, regardless of title or rank. That's the right mindset when you are already in the industry and my experience at Front Row was the perfect introduction.

"Understand what it takes to break into venture capital."

Guillaume Chabot, Investment Associate at Reech Corporations Group (Advisor at Holt, Prev. Investment Team at FRV)

"After a first entrepreneurial experience, the FRV VC Blueprint helped me understand the mindset of venture capitalists. As a student, this learning experience will provide you the tools to navigate this industry full of secrets."

“The best starting point that you can find.”

Nicolas Theriault, Venture Intern at Brightspark (Prev FRV, Round 13).

“The VC Blueprint addresses all the key pillars that you need to know when starting a career in VC. This was a stepping stone to some many amazing opportunities - I could not recommend it enough. You’ll definitely get a great return on your time."

"The guide to kick-starting a career in VC"

Jotham Chow, Analyst at Greensky Capital (Prev. VC at iGan Part, Analyst at RBC Ventures, Investment Team at FRV)

"Coming from a STEM degree, I was new to the world of business and venture. FRV's Blueprint helped to break down the fundamental skills and street-level knowledge I needed to navigate the industry. I couldn't have hoped for a better way to kick-start my career."

The Venture Capital Blueprint

Receive a personal recruitment masterclass, walk through investment case studies, and break into the world of early-stage VC.