BYU Cougar Capital

BYU Cougar Capital is a student-run venture capital and private equity fund managed by second-year MBA students at Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Business. The fund partners with established venture capital and private equity firms, participating as a member of the syndicate team conducting due diligence on potential investments. When appropriate, Cougar Capital co-invests with industry partners in deals. The fund sources nearly all of its deal flow from these industry partnerships and seeks to add value through significant due diligence efforts and additional post-deal analysis of companies in which partners have invested. Accepted students actively pursue investment opportunities, perform due diligence, and deploy capital.

Established in 2005, Cougar Capital has produced alumni currently working in private equity, venture capital, investment banking, and award-winning entrepreneurial startups. Forbes magazine recently designated Cougar Capital as one of the most innovative business classes in America. The fund currently holds 22 investments in its portfolio and has experienced an internal rate of return (IRR) greater than 200 percent and a 3.7x money-on-money return on 11 exits.

Led by faculty advisor Gary Williams, a well-rounded academic advisory board, and additional advisors consisting of respected industry professionals, BYU Cougar Capital provides academic learning through applied experience. Participants are selected from students in Gary Williams’s MBA 664: Venture Capital/Private Equity course offered during the winter semester of the first year of the program. The fund is headquartered at Brigham Young University, 490 Tanner Building, Provo, Utah, United States. For inquiries, contact rollinscenter@byu.edu.