The Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center » Lang Fund

Lang Fund

Lang Fund Selection Process
About
Alumni Selection Cycle- Dates & Eligibility
Student Selection Cycle - Dates & Eligibility
Conditions of Investment

For the first time in its 20+ year history, The Lang Fund is opening up a selection process for early-stage, alumni-founded startups on January 5th, 2021. To receive updates on important dates, subscribe to our Alumni Newsletter.

For questions, contact [email protected].

About the Lang Entrepreneurial Initiative Fund

Established in 1996 with a $1 million gift from Eugene M. Lang, MS '40, the Eugene M. Lang Entrepreneurial Initiative Fund ("The Lang Fund") fosters an entrepreneurial environment at Columbia Business School by providing early-stage investing opportunities to qualifying student and alumni ventures. It also allows the School to share in the success of funded ventures through negotiated equity or other participation.

Learn about the latest Lang Fund Recipients.

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Alumni Selection Cycle - Dates & Eligibility

APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN. APPLY NOW.

  • 1/05/21 - Alumni Submission Window Opens
  • 2/2/21 – Alumni Submission Window Deadline
  • 2/24/21 – Selected Alumni Ventures Pitch to Screening Committee
  • 3/12/21 – Final Round Pitch, investment decisions are made by Lang Fund Investment Committee

Dates subject to change.

Eligibility & Requirements

 The Lang Fund is looking for alumni ventures that fit the following criteria:  

  • Pre-seed or seed stage companies, ideally post-revenue with 6 months of customer data
  • At least one member of the founding team must be a CBS alum
  • The founding team must all be working full-time on their venture
  • The venture must be raising, or looking to raise a round within the next 12 months
  • The Lang Fund is geographically and sector agnostic

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Student Selection Cycle - Dates & Eligibility

  • Please check back for important dates in 2021.

Dates subject to change.

Eligibility & Requirements

Graduating students who intend to work on their ventures full-time after graduation are eligible to apply for funding from the Lang Fund Board. In order to apply you must be a Columbia Business School student graduating in May for MBAs and August for EMBAs.

The entry requirements include:

  • Completed application highlighting venture accomplishments and intent to work on venture full-time
  • Five to seven-page presentation outlining your venture
  • Participation in due diligence process 

Note that while applications are accepted from ventures of all stages, preference may be given to companies that have shown initial traction and/or other types of market validation.

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Conditions of Investment

In order to provide access to seed funding in a venture’s early stages, the Fund will make an initial investment in each venture, typically in the amount of $25,000-50,000, in the form of a convertible demand note for ventures that meet its investment criteria.  This criteria requires that ventures have a viable business model with a good chance of success and a full-time commitment by the graduating student to the business as its owner or prime mover.  The Fund retains the right to make an additional equity investment in the business when the business raises its first round of equity backed by professional investors.
 
The Board retains sole discretion for deciding which businesses it will fund each year and may decide in a given year to forgo the funding of any projects if none of the ventures presented meet its investment criteria.

Questions? Contact [email protected].