New fund targets university founders for global solutions

A new fund called Critical Venture Partners has launched with $5 million to support young entrepreneurs coming from universities. The firm believes these founders can tackle big global issues like climate change, healthcare, and economic opportunity. Founded by recent graduates from the University of Pennsylvania, Critical Venture Partners aims to invest in young people. Co-founder Sam Strickberger said their goal is to help other young innovators. The fund offers investments between $50,000 and $250,000, with plans to reserve a quarter of it for future investments. To attract new talent, the firm is collaborating with Yope, an accelerator previously known as Founder.org. They are organizing a startup competition with a prize of $100,000. So far, Critical Venture Partners has invested in three startups. These include General Galactic, which works on converting CO2 into methane, Mobius Industries that extracts metals from waste, and Stratagen Bio, which enhances MRI scans with data. The founders believe that young people can create significant, game-changing companies. Their enthusiasm reflects a broader trend in venture capital, which increasingly values young founders and their innovative ideas.