Program · Fellowship
Junior Venture Capitalist Program
Junior Venture Capitalist Program is Women Founders Network's fellowship offering foundational VC education for high school students.
- Application state
- Accepting
Overview
What Junior Venture Capitalist Program offers
What Junior Venture Capitalist Program is
The Junior Venture Capitalist Program is Women Founders Network's high-school investor education program under its Next Generation Investors work. It invites girls in grades 9-12 to learn how venture capitalists evaluate businesses, review Women Founders Network Fast Pitch finalists, and vote on a $5,000 Jr. VC prize for one finalist company.
Operational profile
Program status and context
Program status describes the program itself. Application availability and deadlines remain separate.
- Operational status
- Active
- Program type
- Fellowship
- Host organization
- Women Founders Network
- Last reviewed
- June 11, 2026
Terms and economics
Published program terms
- Price
- Paid
- Compensation
- Pay To Participate
Compensation and economics
Participants pay a fee of $800 to participate in the program.
Focus and fit
Who the program is for
Program thesis
The program focuses on building an early pipeline of young women investors who understand startup finance, venture-style evaluation, and the funding gap facing women-founded businesses.
Eligibility
Girls in grades 9-12 as of October 2026 may apply. Women Founders Network accepts applications from across the United States, with in-person events in the greater Los Angeles region and an online-only option for non-local students.
Selection approach
The official page links to an application form and says the 2026 application window is April 1 - May 31. It separately states grades 9-12 eligibility, national U.S. geography, local and online tracks, and fees.
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Regions
- United States
- Audience
- Students · Investors
- Geographic eligibility
- United States
- Career stage
- Student
Format and cadence
How participation works
- Presence
- Hybrid
- Duration
- 16 weeks
- Cohort size
- 92
- Cohorts per year
- 1
- Engagement
- Part Time
Availability and engagement
Application timing and route
- Application state
- Accepting
- Next deadline
- May 31, 2026
- Admissions
- Application Only
Value and support
What participation may provide
Publicly described support is context, not a guarantee of current delivery or future benefit.
What participants may receive
Junior VCs learn how to evaluate a business the way a venture capitalist evaluates investment worthiness. The program gives participants access to Fast Pitch finalist information, guidance on how to select investment-worthy businesses, and a real $5,000 grant that the students award to one finalist company.
Common questions
Program details at a glance
Junior Venture Capitalist Program is published in Upseed as a fellowship program hosted by Women Founders Network. Upseed treats the Program and its host Organization as separate records so each can have its own status and sources.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
June 11, 2026
Known limits
Terms, deadlines, and application states can change. Confirm current details at the published destination before acting. Upseed does not yet classify every Program destination as official.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or the official representative of this program or its host.