Ivy League Dropout Launches VC Firm at 21 to Back Young Founders

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Smaiyl Makyshov, a 24-year-old entrepreneur, decided to drop out of Brown University after just three semesters to launch his own venture capital firm, Multifaceted Capital, at the age of 21. Makyshov was inspired by the rise of community-focused investing and saw an opportunity to back founders from top US boarding schools, which he believes are an underserved community in the VC world. Despite facing skepticism from investors about his young age and lack of experience, Makyshov has raised over $2 million across two funds and invested in more than 30 companies in just three years.

Why it matters

Makyshov's story highlights the growing trend of young, ambitious entrepreneurs forgoing traditional higher education paths to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. His focus on community-driven investing, particularly in underrepresented founder communities, also reflects a shift in the VC industry towards more inclusive and diverse funding models. Makyshov's success at such a young age challenges the perception of venture capital as an "old man's business" and demonstrates the potential for innovative investment strategies to uncover promising startups.

The details

After interning at his older brother's VC firm during a gap year, Makyshov became convinced that community-focused investing was a promising opportunity. He decided to target the US boarding school system, which he felt was an underserved community compared to Ivy League alumni networks. Despite getting into Brown University, Makyshov ultimately decided to drop out after just three semesters to launch Multifaceted Capital. In the beginning, Makyshov faced significant skepticism from investors about his young age and lack of experience, but he persisted through cold outreach and eventually secured his first investment from the co-founder of AppLovin. Over the past three years, Makyshov has raised over $2 million across two funds and invested in more than 30 companies, focusing on founders from top boarding schools, Y Combinator, and other accelerator programs.

• Makyshov started programming at the age of 9, teaching himself languages like HTML and Java.
• Makyshov interned at his older brother's venture capital firm during a gap year before starting college.
• Makyshov enrolled at Brown University in 2022 but dropped out after three semesters in 2023 to launch Multifaceted Capital.
• Makyshov raised $225,000 for his pilot fund in 2023.
• Makyshov has since raised a second fund of $2.1 million and invested in over 30 companies over the past three years.

What they’re saying

What’s next

Makyshov plans to continue refining and expanding his community-focused investment model, going deeper into the networks of top boarding schools and accelerator programs while also exploring new communities to back.