Breakthrough Raises Debut $2 Million Fund
Feb 2, 2026
Breakthrough Ventures raises $2M to democratize access to venture capital for student entrepreneurs across the United States
Breakthrough Ventures has raised $2M in funding for both dilutive and non-dilutive founder support. This milestone enables us to expand our accelerator beyond Stanford and open applications to students nationwide, providing a new cohort of young founders with access to resources from Mayfield, J.P. Morgan, Collide Capital, Gunderson Dettmer, and Silicon Valley Bank, a division of First Citizens Bank.
Founded by Stanford students Roman Scott and Itbaan Nafi, Breakthrough has supported 40 founders in raising more than $60 million in venture capital since launch. The accelerator’s expansion addresses a critical gap in how early-stage capital reaches young founders.
"Breakthrough Ventures is building a platform for student founders and empowering the next generation of innovators. In an industry still shaped by established networks, Breakthrough takes a differentiated approach to discovering and backing young talent and leaders. Mayfield is proud to partner with Breakthrough to expand access to venture capital for resilient, industrious founders.” – Irving Hsu, investor at Mayfield
The problem we're solving
Across the United States, talented student founders keep running into the same wall when they seek early-stage capital. The statistics reveal the problem: 84% of Gen Zers want to own their own company, yet in 2024, 52% of VC funding went to serial founders. Investors prefer proven track records over raw potential.
The result is a critical gap. Young founders with strong ideas get systematically shut out of traditional funding networks, not because they lack capability, but because they lack the right credentials. Breakthrough addresses this problem by building dedicated infrastructure for student entrepreneurs. Instead of trying to convince traditional VCs to change their minds, Breakthrough created an alternative model designed specifically for early-stage, student-led companies.
"Many traditional VCs told our founders 'you need more work experience.’ We gave them what they actually needed: access to top investors, resources, and a platform where VCs would take them seriously. They raised $60 million. The talent was always there." – Roman Scott, co-founder of Breakthrough Ventures
Why our approach works
Two factors demonstrate the model's effectiveness. First, the results speak for themselves. Breakthrough founders have now secured over $60 million in follow-on funding from leading venture firms. Four alumni were accepted into Andreessen Horowitz's Speedrun program, which takes just 50 companies from 14,000 applicants. One founder walked out with $1 million from a16z just fifteen minutes after pitching.
Second, Breakthrough's Demo Day creates a new way for investors to evaluate companies. Rather than relying on proxies like age or résumé credentials, investors can assess actual execution and progress. This shifts the conversation from "how old are you?" to "how are you changing the world?"
"Our generation doesn't wait for institutions to change. When traditional VCs wouldn't take student founders seriously, we didn't ask them to reconsider: we built our own infrastructure. We recruited mentors directly, secured resources directly, and created our own validation mechanism." – Itbaan Nafi, co-founder of Breakthrough Ventures
What we offer
Breakthrough’s accelerator, led by Raihan Ahmed, wraps comprehensive support around student founders, including:
Up to $10,000 in non-dilutive grant funding and the opportunity to receive an additional $50,000 investment.
Up to $350,000 in compute credits per team through NVIDIA Inception and Microsoft.
Legal counsel from Gunderson Dettmer, a leading Silicon Valley law firm.
Access to a mentorship network that includes executives from top companies, such as Waymo, and venture capital firms.
This expansion beyond just Stanford reflects a simple belief: exceptional founders exist everywhere. By providing real support and validation, Breakthrough helps student founders access top-tier venture capital based on what they've built, not what their credentials are.
Applications for Breakthrough's 2026 Demo Day are now open to students at colleges and universities nationwide. Learn more at breakvc.com.
