Two Stanford students announced that they have raised $2 million for an accelerator program called Breakthrough Ventures, which focuses on backing startups founded by college students and recent graduates across the U.S. As a result, the initiative aims to expand access to early-stage capital for young founders nationwide.
Roman Scott and Itbaan Nafi began developing the accelerator after hosting a series of well-attended Demo Days at Stanford starting in 2024. Over time, they decided to scale the program as participating students began achieving measurable success. “This fundraiser turns Breakthrough from just being a seasonal accelerator into a lifelong partnership with our founders,” Nafi, who remains a master’s candidate at Stanford, said.
Scott earned his undergraduate degree from Stanford in 2024 and then completed his master’s degree at the university the following year. Meanwhile, Nafi continued his academic journey while helping shape the accelerator’s long-term vision.
Early last year, the founders brought in Raihan Ahmed to lead the accelerator and then moved forward with formal fundraising efforts. Subsequently, they secured backing from firms such as Mayfield and Collide Capital, along with several Stanford founder alumni, to support emerging startups in AI, health, consumer, deep tech, and sustainability sectors. Scott explained that the accelerator stands apart because it is designed “for student founders by student founders.”
Notably, student-focused accelerator programs already exist. UC Berkeley runs a comparable initiative called Free Ventures for pre-seed-stage student startups, while MIT operates its Sandbox Innovation Fund. In addition, Stanford itself hosts multiple accelerators, including StartX, LaunchPad, and Cardinal Ventures, which are either run by or affiliated with the university. “Students have enjoyed how we’ve brought together so many others from different American colleges,” Nafi said of Breakthrough, likening the experience to Stanford’s Treehacks hackathon.
However, Scott emphasized that Breakthrough addresses a persistent gap in the ecosystem. “Breakthrough’s purpose is to fill in the funding and opportunity gap that exists in many of these ecosystems because students have historically lacked access to capital and the networks required to launch their entrepreneurial pursuits,” he said.
Structurally, Breakthrough will operate on a hybrid model that combines in-person meetups at leading venture capital firms with virtual programming, ultimately culminating in a Demo Day at Stanford. Participants receive access to grant funding of up to $10,000, compute credits through Microsoft and the Nvidia Inception program, legal support, mentorship, and “along with the opportunity to receive a $50,000 follow-on investment at the conclusion of the program,” Nafi said.
“We’ve nailed the student-founder experience to a T,” Nafi said. “Hence why we offer the resources we do and have structured the program in this way. Students really feel like we get them, and that’s because we are students.”
Looking ahead, the founders plan to deploy the fund over the next three years and aim to incubate at least 100 startups. More broadly, Nafi envisions the fund helping transform Breakthrough into “the hub for Gen Z entrepreneurship and thought leadership,” particularly at a time when many young people feel uncertain about their economic future.
Applications for the latest cohort open today. Ultimately, the founders believe their work can create lasting impact beyond individual startups. “We hope that by supporting young entrepreneurs, we’re able to uplift as many stories as possible to then inspire many more across the world to use the tools and knowledge around them to pursue entrepreneurship not only to change their communities but also to gain economic stability for themselves and their families,” Nafi said.
Breakthrough Ventures represents a new wave of student-led innovation focused on closing long-standing gaps in access to capital, mentorship, and networks. By combining peer-driven design with institutional support, the accelerator aims to empower young founders to build scalable companies while shaping a more inclusive future for entrepreneurship.
