Venture Institute is a free, 9-week learning program that helps you master VC fundamentals and build marketable skills to launch or advance your VC career. VC Lab is a 14-week accelerator and closing program that helps you design, fundraise, and launch your fund.
Venture Institute: Learn the Fundamentals, Build Your Foundation
Venture Institute is a free, 9-week learning program that helps you build a foundation for a career or future fund in venture capital.
You’ll learn:
- VC Fundamentals
- How venture funds operate and invest
- How to develop a strong investment thesis
- How to source and evaluate deals
- How to cultivate relationships with Limited Partners (LPs)
- How to build a strong personal brand in the VC ecosystem
You’ll also earn Decile Hub Certification, recognizing your ability to use the same platform that hundreds of VC firms rely on.
Ideal for:
- Aspiring analysts and associates
- Operators and founders exploring fund creation
- Professionals preparing for the VC Lab Accelerator or a Start Fund
By graduation, you’ll have a strong grasp on core Venture Capital concepts, a thesis, a proprietary dealflow pipeline, an emerging LP network, and a strong social presence that will get you noticed in your local ecosystem — the tangible assets you need to start a career or prepare to launch your own fund.
Duration: 9 weeks
Cost: Free
Format: Online, Global
Venture Institute information:
Early Deadline
December 15, 2025
Start
January 22, 2026
Completion
April 2, 2026
VC Lab: Launch and Close Your Venture Capital Fund
VC Lab is the leading global accelerator for emerging managers ready to launch and close a venture capital fund. It is a structured, intensive 14-week program that guides participants through the entire fundraising and fund-launch process.
You’ll work through:
- Fund design, legal structure, fund accounting, and compliance
- LP engagement and fundraising
- Due diligence preparation
- Firm formation, operations, capital calls, and closing best practices
Ideal for:
- Emerging managers ready to launch a VC fund I, II, or beyond
- Experienced professionals with an investment thesis and a differentiated ‘secret sauce’
- Venture Institute alumni or early-stage investors advancing to fund management
VC Lab is results-driven — participants leave the program having built, structured, and often closed their first fund.
Duration: 14 weeks
Cost: Free
Format: Online accelerator, Global
Looking to start a VC fund?
Join the VC Lab Program
Final Deadline
January 12, 2025
Start
January 28, 2026
Est. Finish
May 6, 2026
How to Decide
| If you are… | Start with… |
| New to venture capital and want to learn the fundamentals | Venture Institute |
| Building your network and thesis while learning VC structure and language | Venture Institute |
| An aspiring investor preparing to launch a fund in the next months | VC Lab |
| Ready to form a fund, pitch your LP base, and close capital | VC Lab |
| Interested in exploring both — learn, then launch | Venture Institute → VC Lab |
A Shared Mission
Both programs are guided by the Mensarius Oath, Decile Group’s commitment to ethical and transparent investing. Together, they form a unified path from learning to launching — helping you go from understanding venture capital to operating a world-class institutional-grade firm.