Invest in who you know
Whether you’re looking to raise or invest, we create value by expanding access across alumni networks.
About us
Capital raised through community
Univest is a capital-raising platform built around alumni networks.
We connect founders and capital raisers with investors who share the same academic community.
Startups, funds, and projects gain access to aligned capital — while investors gain access to opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t see.
Private markets don’t lack interest.
They lack access.
Most people never see private investment opportunities because of:
• Limited networks
• High minimum investments
• Lack of access to quality deal flow
Univest removes these barriers.
How Univest Works
For Founders
Raise capital from a trusted alumni network of engaged investors.
For Investors
Access curated opportunities that would normally stay within closed networks.
About us
Univest is a capital-raising platform centered around alumni networks.
Those who are looking to raise capital for a startup, fund, investment, project, or something else, with those that have some capital to invest.
Our streamlined process connects both groups in an efficient manner.
We provide capital raisers a one-stop-shop to connect with potential investors.
We provide investors the ability to invest in deals they otherwise wouldn’t have access to due to lack of knowledge, connections, or restrictive capital requirements.
Private markets don’t lack interest.
They lack access.
We lower these barriers by giving people who share an affiliation a clear, structured way to invest in and alongside one another.
We make participation more practical by bringing minimum check sizes into a more accessible range, allowing investors to spread their capital, and helping founders engage with a cohesive group of value-add investors.
The result is value creation on both sides:
Investors gain access and optionality
Founders bring in capital that’s engaged and aligned
As members of the community succeed, the value of your alumni network grows stronger and helps the next generation of founders start from a better foundation.
Universitiy list
We’re starting with Fordham University and plan to expand to other schools over time. If your institution’s founder community is often overlooked, please reach out.
Fordham University
Coming Soon!
Our Team
Paul Mazurek
Co-Founder
Private equity investor focused on investing in good deals, understand how companies operate, and ways to build value for the long term. Moonlight as an adjunct professor.
Max Peara
Co-Founder
From running companies, to Wall Street, and attempting pro tennis, I’ve mainly learnt that the non-standard path is stressful, immensely challenging, time-consuming, but a lot more fun.
Co-Founder
Lauren Sweeney
Founded and exited DeliverZero. Interested in the intersection of product and policy, helping founders with big ideas drive adoption and create new realities.
Join the community
We’re currently interviewing and evaluating a number of deals by Fordham alum with the goal of launching the platform alongside a handful of private investments.
If you’re a Fordham alum, interested in investing or looking to raise capital, please reach out.