Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I consider VC?
Venture capital is a high-risk, high-returns asset class and is only loosely correlated to returns in the public market. Many institutional investors such as endowments and wealthy family offices often allocate 5-15% of their portfolio to venture. Since VC returns aren’t strongly correlated to the stock market and your VC investments can perform well when other asset classes don’t, it’s a way to diversify your portfolio.
Who manages your funds?
Our funds have a full-time team of two or three investment professionals — including a Managing Partner and a Principal — with strong entrepreneurial and investing experience. They are supplemented by a Strategic Advisory Board and Investment Committee.
How do distributions work?
When a fund experiences a liquidity event, we will send distribution checks as soon as the company sends us a check. We can usually process this transaction within a few days.
If I’m not an alum of OU, do you have something for me?
Our Focused Funds are open to all accredited investors regardless of whether you attended the University of Oklahoma.
What is an accredited investor?
The SEC defines an accredited investor as someone who (a) has earned income that exceeded $200,000 (or $300,000 together with a spouse) in each of the prior two years, and reasonably expects the same for the current year, OR (b) has a net worth over $1 million, either alone or together with a spouse (excluding the value of the person’s primary residence). Further details are available here.
Why should I consider BSV funds?
BSV funds offer you a smart, simple way to invest in venture capital, and to support OU. We provide investors with diversified portfolios of venture investments and routinely co-invest with top VCs to access deals not available to most individuals. We also keep our investment minimum to $250K ($100K for OU alumni) to make our funds accessible to a wide set of accredited investors.
Can I just invest in venture capital through my brokerage account?
Yes, you may use your self-directed IRA to invest in BSV venture capital fund opportunities, which means you do not have to write us a check. Please reach out to James Spann, Managing Partner to learn how to invest via your brokerage account.
Will I be able to invest alongside established VCs?
Yes. Our network of alumni and other VCs enables us to co-invest with established venture firms.