Wolverine Venture Fund | Samuel Zell and Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies

Jump to Navigation

The Wolverine Venture Fund was founded in 1997. It grew out of a fund established in 1988 by the Regents of the University of Michigan for donors interested in contributing to high-risk, high-return investments. WVF's mission is to enrich student development by providing education through hands-on experience while acheiving returns on capital. WVF has invested in 30 companies and increased its assets from $2M to $7M through M&A and IPO exits.

Read More >>

Fund Strategy

WVF is an evergreen fund that seeks investment opportunities in SaaS, Biotech, Health Tech, Advanced Materials, and other advanced and emerging technologies. The fund invests in priced series seed, A, or B rounds alongside established venture capital firms serving as lead investors.

Student Expertise

WVF consists of both PhD and MBA students spanning over 20 areas of expertise.

Investment Process

The investment process is conducted by fund students and typically involves a 3-5 week diligence process before the fund students vote on whether to make an investment. Investments range between $50,000 to $100,000 per round, with additional funds reserved for follow-ons.

Our Advisors

WVF is advised by veteran venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, and a Michigan Ross faculty director. Portfolio companies are encouraged to leverage the University's resources and the student advisors.

Fund Members

Faculty Managing Director

Co-Managing Director; MBA '23

Co-Managing Director; MBA '23

Maggie Zatkulak

VP of Education & Recruitment Lead; MBA '23

VP of Deal Sourcing & Recruitment Lead; PhD, Chemical Biology '23

VP of Deal Sourcing & Recruitment Lead; MBA '23

VP of Deal Sourcing; PhD, Applied Physics and Scientific Computing '25

VP of Deal Sourcing; MBA '23

Recruitment Lead; PhD, Medicinal Chemistry

MBA '24

Larissa Almeida

MBA '23

MBA '24

MBA '24

MD/MBA '24

PhD, Immunology '24

MBA '24

PhD, Pharmaceutical Sciences

Robert Danziger

MBA '24

MBA '23

Desiree Gordian

PhD, Cellular and Molecular Biology

MBA '24

MBA '23

MBA '24

MBA '23

PhD, Pharmacology

Tomoyo Matsui-Mori

MBA '24

MBA '24

Merjem Mededovic

PhD, Biomedical Engineering

MBA '24

PhD, Mechanical Engineering '23

MBA '24

Gregory Oberhausen

PhD, Mechanical Engineering '23

Aseem Pattanayak

MBA '24

PhD Mechanical Engineering '24

Campbell Roellig

MBA '24

PhD, Neuroscience

MBA '24

Shobhit Shekhar

MBA '24

MBA '24

Stephanie Steltzer

PhD, Molecular and Integrative Physiology '26

MBA '24

PhD, Robotics '23

PhD, College of Pharmacy '25