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May 15, 2026
Analyzed by Llama- 4 Scout 17B 16E Instruct

Meridian Ventures Launches $35M Fund for MBA-Deferred Founders

AI Summary
Meridian Ventures, founded by Devon Gethers and Karlton Haney, has launched a $35 million fund to support pre-seed and seed-stage companies started by MBA-deferred founders. The fund aims to bridge the capital gap for ambitious founders building frontier technologies in the US.

The Genesis of Meridian Ventures

Meridian Ventures was born out of a shared experience: deferred MBAs. Now, founders Devon Gethers and Karlton Haney have raised a $35 million fund to back pre-seed and seed-stage companies started by people like them.

The Founders' Background

Gethers, 29, and Haney, 28, met in Harvard’s MBA deferred admission program in 2020. Gethers grew up in poverty in Washington State, while Haney grew up on a farm in Arkansas. They both have diverse educational and professional backgrounds, with Gethers studying behavioral science and finance, and Haney studying industrial engineering.

The Investment Thesis

The duo's thesis is to challenge the common Silicon Valley belief that MBAs don’t make good founders. They believe that MBAs, especially those who have deferred, can bring a unique perspective to building successful companies.

The Fund's Strategy

  • The fund will focus on enterprise technology in the United States.
  • Meridian is sector-agnostic, with investments in fintech, logistics, healthcare, and AI.
  • The average check size will be $500,000 for pre-seed and $750,000 for seed.
  • The capital will be deployed over the next three years.

The Impact Analysis

The new fund aims to address the expanding gap between ambitious founders building frontier technologies and the capital required to help carry those ambitions forward. By supporting MBA-deferred founders, Meridian Ventures hopes to foster innovation and growth in the US tech ecosystem.

The Prediction

With this $35 million fund, Meridian Ventures is poised to make a significant impact in the startup ecosystem. As the fund gets deployed over the next three years, it will be interesting to see the types of companies that Meridian supports and the returns they generate.