With two initial alumni donations totaling $175,000, the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business has established an investment fund for companies launched by students and alumni.
“We definitely saw a need to create a fund to invest in companies at the earliest stages. … There are not a lot of other options out there” for students just starting out, said Melissa Carrier, director of Venture Investments for the school’s Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship.
One donor, Carly Fiorina, former president and chief executive of Hewlett-Packard, stipulated that half of her $100,000 contribution be set aside for socially responsible startups. Kevin Plank, founder and chief executive of Baltimore-based athletic apparel company Under Armour, gave the remaining $75,000.
Award amounts will vary and will be granted on a rolling basis. The maximum single award will be $30,000. Decisions will be made by Carrier and Managing Director Asher Epstein, and students interested in investment can participate in the screening process.
Companies have to show “growth potential, solve a market need, and be scalable and ultimately profitable,” Carrier said. The companies don’t have to be based here, but many of the alumni- and student-launched firms the Center works with are based in the metro area. Carrier hopes the fund will grow into a multimillion-dollar fund over the next few years.
The center has previously invested in companies through its scholarship fund, but this marks the first official investment fund. The center also provides advisory services to startup companies.
