A 24-year-old venture capitalist dropped out of Brown University to start a VC firm focused on boarding school alumni, and he's already raised $2.1 million and invested in over 30 companies. Smaiyl Makyshov identified a gap in venture capital: while universities like Harvard and Princeton had strong alumni investor networks, top boarding schools did not. He turned that observation into Multifaceted Capital, a community-focused fund that now backs founders from Phillips Exeter, boarding school networks, and accelerators like Y Combinator and Andreessen Horowitz's Speedrun .

What Makes Community-Based Venture Capital Different?

Makyshov's investment thesis emerged during an internship at his older brother's venture capital firm while taking a gap year before college. He noticed a broader trend reshaping how capital flows to founders: instead of organizing around geography or industry sector, newer funds were building around specific communities. These included alumni networks, underrepresented founder groups, and even college dropouts. Makyshov realized the boarding school ecosystem represented an untapped community of high-potential founders .

The insight was straightforward but powerful: if the best companies are built by the best founders, then understanding which communities produce those founders becomes a competitive advantage. Top boarding schools like Phillips Exeter, where Makyshov himself studied, prepare students for Ivy League admission and often produce founders with strong networks and resources. Yet no venture fund had systematically invested in this pipeline .

How to Build a VC Fund With No Network or Capital?

• Cold Outreach at Scale: Makyshov sent hundreds of emails and made hundreds of calls to potential limited partners with no track record, family capital, or existing network. His first yes came from Andrew Karam, cofounder of AppLovin, which gave him credibility to continue fundraising.
• Lead With a Clear Investment Thesis: Rather than pitching himself as a generalist, Makyshov pitched a specific thesis: he could access a community of high-quality founders and use his network to introduce them to other investors and connect them with talent.
• Leverage Speed as a Competitive Advantage: As a sole general partner, Makyshov can make investment decisions in days rather than weeks, which matters when founders have only one or two days to decide whether to accept capital from Y Combinator or other top accelerators.

Makyshov raised $225,000 for his pilot fund in 2023, then grew to a second fund of $2.1 million three years later. The path was not straightforward. Early investors told him to return with more experience, citing venture capital's reputation as an "old man's business." But Makyshov believed in the thesis enough to persist through rejection .

"A lot of people associate moving fast and scrappiness with founders, and it's not seen as a VC mentality. But moving fast has been a big plus for me as a sole general partner. My founders don't have to wait weeks for a decision or for processes to complete. That's a big advantage when a company has gotten into Y Combinator, for example, and you only have one or two days to say if you're in or not," said Smaiyl Makyshov.

Smaiyl Makyshov, Founder of Multifaceted Capital

Why Did Makyshov Leave Brown University?

Getting into Brown University was a significant milestone for Makyshov and his family. His parents were proud, and it represented the culmination of years of preparation. But after three semesters, he made an unconventional decision: he dropped out to focus full-time on building Multifaceted Capital. The opportunity cost was high, but Makyshov felt deeply convinced in his investment thesis and believed he was already moving at a pace that college could not match .

This decision reflects a broader pattern in venture capital and tech entrepreneurship, where some founders and investors choose to forgo traditional credentials in favor of hands-on experience. For Makyshov, the decision to leave Brown was not about rejecting education but about recognizing that his education was happening in venture capital itself .

What's Next for Community-Focused Venture Capital?

Makyshov's current focus is refining and expanding his investing model by going deeper into the communities he already serves and gradually exploring new ones. He is also working to get into companies earlier, even before they enter top accelerators like Y Combinator or Speedrun. This earlier-stage approach could give him an advantage in sourcing deals before other investors discover them .

The success of Multifaceted Capital suggests that venture capital's future may not be dominated solely by large, generalist firms with massive teams. Instead, specialized funds built around specific communities and backed by founders who understand those communities deeply may carve out significant niches. Makyshov's story also demonstrates that age and traditional credentials matter less than speed, conviction, and access to a valuable network .

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