No, you do not need to be an accredited investor to become a VC scout. Scouts typically identify and refer promising startups to professional investors. These investors are accredited or sophisticated enough to independently evaluate the opportunities, risks, and rewards before deciding to invest.

We share a portion, up to 20%, of our carry with our deal scouts. If we invest in a deal referred to us, we’ll execute a separate scout agreement for the carried interest. Scouts can also invest alongside Mana Ventures in the deal SPV.

A pitch deck is created by startup founders to communicate their vision, product details, business model, and current traction. Because it’s prepared by those seeking investment, a pitch deck often has a promotional or optimistic perspective.

In contrast, a deal memo is created by investors as an internal evaluation document. It objectively summarizes the startup’s opportunity, assesses risks and strengths, and helps investors decide whether to move forward with deeper due diligence or an investment.

No, formal investment experience isn’t required to succeed as a VC scout. However, it’s helpful to understand how startup funding works, recognize key indicators of startup success, assess founder and team potential, and have a general understanding of market sizing in relevant industries.