Northern Kentucky University is launching its innovation fund, which it says will give students experiential learning opportunities in venture capital.
The Norse Ventures Fund focuses on early-stage, growth-oriented startups with connections to the university or the Northern Kentucky region. The fund is designed to invest in ventures founded by alumni, faculty and students, or companies in the technology, healthcare, advanced manufacturing, logistics and supply chain sectors.
Chad Scott, founder and managing director of Cincinnati-based Tindall Capital, will manage the fund.
“Norse Ventures is about creating opportunity on multiple levels,” Scott said in a news release. “We have the ability to invest in outstanding companies with ties to our region while giving students an authentic venture capital experience that simply isn’t available in most university settings. When students graduate, they’ll leave not only with classroom knowledge, but with firsthand experience evaluating companies, conducting diligence and participating in real investment decisions.”
The fund is currently in its charitable launch phase, with philanthropic support helping establish student programming, investment processes and future opportunities for students to participate in venture capital and private equity investing.
The fund’s innovation committee consists of several notable Greater Cincinnati area businesspeople. Scott will chair the committee, which includes Gaby Batshoun of Global Business Solutions, Karen Finan of OneNKY Alliance, Kevin Gusweiler of eGateway Capital, Greg Neal, retired from Advanced Testing Laboratories, and Tim Schigel of Refinery.
