BEX3120 Venture capital and the startup ecosystem
Faculty of Business and Economics
BEX3120 Venture capital and the startup ecosystem is a level 3, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Business and Economics, offered in 2024 in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2024
- Semester 1, Semester 2
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 1 task
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2024 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before BEX3120
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After BEX3120
No unit lists BEX3120 as a prerequisite in the 2024 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must have completed 72 credit points of study to undertake this unit.
Overview
Ever wondered how companies like Afterpay, Canva, Culture Amp and Airwallex, were started and funded? To date Australia has more than 6 Unicorns - startups that have reached a $1 Billion valuation, and more than 100 startups valued at over $100M. In almost all cases investment, funding and venture capital played a critical role in getting these companies started and turbocharging their growth. This course will focus on the nuts and bolts of how investment can support startups and the role venture capital plays in building high growth companies and startups. It will also focus on how venture capital can change the future of business - whether that is through impact investing, new technology or bridging the diversity and gender gaps in business. It is designed for founders, future founders and students looking to pursue a career in Venture Capital or within the startup ecosystem. The subject will combine action based experiences - interactive class role playing, theory and strategy delivered by industry experts and investors, as well as real life meetings with early stage startups. Through the unit you will learn to identify investors, pitch for funding and define, negotiate, and execute early-stage investments
Offerings in 2024
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Caulfield | On campus |
| Second semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Within semester assessment100%
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
understand the startup life cycle of a high growth company
- 2
develop a comprehensive understanding of the Australian startup investment landscape and how this connects with the global investment industry
- 3
build confidence in interacting with Venture Capital Funds
- 4
develop the skills and capabilities to pursue a career in startups
- 5
foster an accurate understanding of what it takes to negotiate funds vs equity and manage deal flow
- 6
ensure that students understand the legal implications when seeking capital for startups.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops36 hours
- Teaching approachIndustry-based learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities. You are expected to complete all pre-class activities prior to your scheduled class, and post-class activities should be completed after your scheduled class. Learning activities may include a combination of teacher directed, peer directed and online engagement activities.
This unit is a practice-based unit with active engagement throughout the semester with industry experts ranging from startup founders, angel and impact investors, and venture capital funds.
The unit places students in venture fund and startup style teams, and teams are treated like early stage investment groups and startups.
Weekly workshops guide the teams through the lifecycle of a startup, what makes a great startup investment opportunity, how to invest in a startup, how to get investment for a startup and working in venture capital. All designed to ultimately empower students to make well-informed startup investments from both investor and startup sides.
It is expected teams will work on their venture fund or startup an additional 9-12 hours per week outside the weekly workshops. Independent work requirements for teams may include associated readings, podcasts, assessment, out of class activities and preparation for scheduled sessions.
Each session will build on previous week’s work and on the activities expected of teams in between classes.
This unit provides you with the opportunity to engage in industry-based learning to incorporate professional and industry experience into your studies.
This unit engages you in actively applying your knowledge, skills and attributes in interactive, collaborative and reflective activities.
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Anh Nguyen
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Gene Shill
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for BEX3120?
BEX3120 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is BEX3120 offered?
In 2024, BEX3120 runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2 at Caulfield.
How much work is BEX3120?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does BEX3120 have an exam?
No. BEX3120 has 1 assessment task and no exam.