NEWTON University Angel Fund
We invest — We support — We share our experience
NEWTON can help to kickstart your business
NEWTON University Angel Fund is an investment fund providing early stage funding to businesses started by NEWTON University students and other members of the NEWTON Family.
Do you have an idea for a business? We can provide you with the initial capital and support to give your business idea the chance to grow.
Let us know if…
you have a business idea for which you are looking for an investor
you need help starting a business
you would like to participate in the management of the fund
The fund combines money from various investors, and is invested in projects selected by the investment committee. On average, selected projects receive around 500,000 CZK, and the project team is also given mentoring and support to start their business.
For funded projects, the NU Angel Fund becomes one of the co-founders and owners, with an investment horizon of five to seven years. If the project is successful, we will exit sooner and help you attract new investors to take it even further.
The fund is supporting businesses in their initial phases, where the success rate of projects is very low. We’re taking a lot of risk, but we don’t want to be just a supervising investor. Rather, we want to be a co-founder and provide professional advice and guidance, which sets us apart from the majority of investors.
We can help you finance your project from the very beginning
Investors
With capital for your project
Mentors
With rich experience
Experience
To support further growth
The project is backed by
Michal Tesař have previously collaborated with NEWTON University students who are interested in investing on the series Up and Down for NEWTON TV, which deals with investments, stocks and cryptocurrencies.
Some NEWTON students also take part in managing the fund, for whom it is a great opportunity to look into the world of investment from the other side:
How do I apply to the NEWTON University Angel Fund?
Do you have a business plan and need an investor to help you get started? Are you starting a business and need help? Get in touch!
The majority of the projects we support are drawn from the NEWTON Business Accelerator –at the end of each round of the programme, we offer participants the chance to gain initial investment for the projects they worked on. However, the NEWTON Angel Fund is open to all NEWTON students and Family, so you can still apply if you did not take part in the acceleration programme. To apply, you need to fill in an application form.
The application form is simple, and just requires your contact details and a brief description of your idea, project or business plan. Once we receive your application, we will review it and advise you on how to improve it. Together, we will fine-tune it into a form that you can present to the investment commission. If your application is approved, you will get an investment of around CZK 500,000 and we’ll become a partner in your project, supporting you to move it forward.
Completed application forms need to be sent to the fund’s founder Ing. Michal Tesař (michal.tesar@newton.university).
Questions and Answers
For NEWTON University students and NEWTON Family members who have a business plan and are looking for an investor to start a business.
You can apply to the fund with a project in any industry except weapons, gambling, and adult entertainment. The final decision on whether a project is eligible for participation in the programme is at NEWTON’s sole discretion.
NEWTON University Angel Fund is an annual fund. It is therefore possible to apply for funding every year. Registration will be open several times during the year (depending on the amount of money remaining in the fund following previous investments).
A maximum of one month will pass between the application window closing, and the presentation in front of the committee. During this month, you will be supported to fine-tune your project pitch, and prepare your presentation. If your application is successful, there will be a transaction period of 1 to 2 months to set up the contractual relationship and the fund’s entry into the structure of your start-up company. Please note that no offer of funding is binding until the contractual agreement is final.
The investment horizon is a maximum of 5 to 7 years.
The first application window is open until 16 November 2022.
No, participation in the programme is free for NEWTON Students and Family members.
Yes, both individuals and teams can apply to the Angel Fund.
The Angel Fund accepts applications from students and members of the NEWTON Family based at our Prague, Brno and Bratislava campuses. However, presentations to the investment committee in the first round will only take place in Prague, and must be in person.
Consultations on your business plan will take place online or offline by appointment. We can also provide mentoring and consultation for projects that do not seek to obtain investment from the fund, but target investors outside NEWTON University.