Welcome to the GUV Leadership Society
Informing, connecting and transforming the global university venture capital ecosystem
Leadership Society Mission
The Global University Venturing (GUV) Leadership Society’s mission is to help bridge the different strengths and ambitions of investors, faculty, students and administrations around the world and help connect them to the governments and corporations supporting their spinouts and startups.
Vision and Overview
The GUV Leadership Society was formed by the community to develop excellence for university venturing leaders and be the prominent voice for the industry through its relationships with local and regional trade bodies and industry advocacy groups.
GUV was set up in 2012 as a trade paper published by Mawsonia and offers university venture funds (UVFs) additional benefits and services through its Leadership Society.
The GUV Leadership Society was established in 2017 by UVFs who want to further the industry in meaningful ways, solve today’s innovation and investment challenges, as well as help develop and mentor the next generation of university venturing leaders.
The Society sets the standards for long-term sustainability of the university venturing and innovation industry. It provides data and information to members enabling them to supply critical information and benchmarks to internal stakeholders to support venturing activities.
It also helps members develop their leadership skills and professional excellence, find and work with the best entrepreneurs and co-investors, and thereby elevate their overall standing within the venture capital industry.
The Society acts as a bridge to the university administrators, deal syndicate partners, entrepreneurs and other industry stakeholders through its data, industry news, events, training, technology, and community collaboration with governments, corporations, VCs and angel investors.
Through the Society, members can find UVF peers and corporations to collaborate with in order to benefit their portfolio companies in their search for capital, customers, product development, hiring and, eventually, an exit.
Through GUV Analytics, UVFs access a proprietary database of commitments to venture capital funds as well as direct deals for unique insights into co-investment patterns and emerging trends.
GUV’s unique network of more than 300 UVFs and 2,000 corporate venturers also attend some or all of its multiple global events, with flagship conferences in London and Houston.
The GUV:Fusion conference in London in May is part of the GCV Symposium that has more than 400 attendees representing $2.5 trillion in aggregate annual revenues and hosts the GUV annual awards at a gala dinner. The Venture Houston conference in Texas in November presents the GUV Powerlist 100 celebration of the top UVF leaders.
This data and relationships are often formed in the first instance from GUV through its website and monthly magazine, which contains the best analysis, guest comments and news across all sectors and regions and is focused on answering two fundamental questions – who does university venturing and what (deals or fund commitments, and so on) do they do?
Strategic Direction
Advisory Board
The Society is advised by a member volunteer board, which is responsible for providing feedback related to existing/proposed benefits and services for Society members, as well as providing guidance on new initiatives.
Advisers serve for a two-year period, which begins/ends in November of each year surrounding the GUV Powerlist 100.
Being a member of the advisory board is an opportunity to give back to the UVF community and helps to set and maintain standards of behaviour and best practices. Advisers and their parent universities have a high profile and good standing within the venture ecosystem.
The inaugural chairwoman is Christine Gulbranson, senior vice-president at University of California.
Membership
Society membership is open to all university venture funds and administrations regardless of where the institution is headquartered, the size or structure of its investment team, or its industry sector investment preference(s).
Benefits include: data and analytics platforms; investment news and special reports; admission to select events; exclusive invitations to roundtable discussions and networking opportunities; portfolio company showcase; assistance with arranging one-on-one meetings during GUV events; branding, sponsorship and speaking opportunities; inclusion within various member subgroups (Hubs), and discounts to a variety of educational programs. Society members are listed in the Leadership Society app, allowing them to contact one another and join online discussions.
Two levels of membership are currently in place (Premium – one year, and Luminary – two years) with varying benefits offered based on associated fees.
Membership is also available to industry partners, academia and government entities at a discounted rate. Non-UVF members have limited access to Society benefits unless authorised by the advisory board.
