Not Yet Ventures

Not Yet Ventures Research Investment Thesis Not Yet Ventures is a pre-seed venture firm founded in 2023 by Alex Zorychta, focused exclusively on US university students building startups at the earliest possible stage. The firm's core belief is encapsulated in the maxim "the best ideas look initially like bad ideas" — and that "talent is equally distributed, opportunity is not." The firm's thesis centers on behavioral assessment of founders rather than traditional metrics like revenue, product completeness, or market size. Zorychta developed a proprietary "Behavioral Engagement Metric" that identifies high-potential founders before they have a fundable business concept — what he calls the "proto-startup" phase. His framework has identified 10 founders pre-idea who were subsequently funded by Y Combinator. The firm's name reflects its philosophy: "It's not a no, it's truly a not yet" — signaling that early rejection is a relationship-building moment rather than a closed door. Stage Focus Not Yet Ventures operates exclusively at the pre-seed stage, investing before most institutional investors would consider a company. The firm positions itself as the "first believer" — providing a $50,000 check as soon as a student founder becomes investable, independent of a round. Check Size $50,000 per investment — deliberately small and designed to give student founders their first institutional capital to achieve early milestones. Investment Criteria Not Yet Ventures requires student founders to have: 2-3 cofounders with prior history together At least one technical cofounder capable of building the product Ability to generate early sales without paid advertising Full-time enrollment at a US university Unique insight or compelling "why now" rationale The firm explicitly focuses on non-traditional startup hubs such as University of Virginia, Ohio State, University of Florida, and similar schools — intentionally extending beyond the Stanford/MIT/Harvard pipeline that dominates early-stage investing. Lead Tendency As a $50K pre-seed investor deploying a small, fixed check size, Not Yet Ventures participates in very early rounds rather than formally leading them in the traditional sense. Their role is closer to a super-angel or scout at the proto-startup phase. Geographic Focus United States university ecosystem only, with particular emphasis on non-coastal and non-traditional startup schools. The firm is headquartered in Charlottesville, VA (home of the University of Virginia). Team Alex Zorychta — Managing Partner Former professor teaching creativity and entrepreneurship to 350+ undergraduates Designed entrepreneurship programs at UVA that 4x'd the rate of graduating viable entrepreneurs in 3 years First investment returned 8x MOIC Has assisted 17 YC-funded student entrepreneurs with pitch and deck refinement Previously associated with AWS Startups and University of Virginia Founded Not Yet Ventures in 2023 based on a decade of working with university entrepreneurs LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/azorychta Decision Process Alex Zorychta operates as a solo GP. The firm prides itself on ensuring "every email is read and responded to by a decision maker" — explicitly rejecting the outsourcing of relationship building to interns, applications, or AI systems. Cold outreach is actively welcomed and encouraged. Services Provided to Portfolio Beyond capital, Not Yet Ventures provides: KPI and growth metric guidance Pitch and deck refinement (Alex has deep experience with YC applications) Introductions to curated angels and early-stage VCs Founder community and peer learning network Support through company building challenges Recent Activity The firm's most recently confirmed investment was CollectWise (financial software / alternative lending) in February 2025. The portfolio spans 20+ companies across sectors including AI, logistics, clean energy, fintech, and consumer apps. Not Yet Ventures Fund I is confirmed via SEC Form D/A filing. Zorychta has a stated 10/10 optimism rating for the current market, arguing that economic downturns produce the best companies — citing Airbnb (2008), Uber and Square (2009), and Microsoft as examples. Portfolio Highlights The firm has backed 20+ university startups including: Knowlify : Knowledge management / edtech CollectWise : Financial software / alternative lending (latest investment, Feb 2025) Hadrius : Compliance / regtech for investment advisers Routora : AI-driven route optimization app (Notre Dame/UT Dallas founders, 37,000+ users in 90+ countries) BreatheEV : Clean energy / EV AethexAI : AI applications CargoLabs : Logistics Vistaly : Product analytics / enterprise software GameStock : Gaming / consumer Where2Wheel : Consumer mobility app RebelAI : AI applications FarmMind : Agricultural technology / climate Amphibian AI, Syntrillo, Sweatmates, Auvi Labs, Clova, Daxe, E Closet, Vala : Various early-stage student startups Founder Preferences Not Yet Ventures specifically targets: Student founders at non-traditional US university hubs Technical founding teams (minimum 1 engineer cofounder) Teams with prior working relationships between cofounders Founders who can generate early sales without paid advertising budget Resilient, behaviorally-driven entrepreneurs with long-term conviction Anti-Thesis The firm will not invest in: Non-student founders Solo founders Teams without at least one technical co-founder Founders relying on paid advertising for early traction Operating Principles The firm operates on a "give first" mentality — providing introductions, insights, and problem-solving support before asking for anything in return. Values authenticity and accountability, with a stated "no a**holes or timewasters" rule.