Meridian Ventures launched a $35M fund with a focus on MBA-deferred founders

It’s not every day you see a venture fund built on the back of deferred MBAs — a detail that might seem trivial until you realize it’s the cornerstone of a compelling counter-narrative. The tech world has long perpetuated the myth that MBAs don’t make great founders, painting them as too rigid, too corporate, too risk-averse for the chaos of startup life. Yet Devon Gethers and Karlton Haney aren’t just challenging that notion — they’re dismantling it with capital and conviction.

Meridian Ventures’ $35 million fund isn’t just about betting on MBA founders — though that’s part of it — but about recognizing the unique edge that structured thinking, deferred ambitions, and real-world resilience can bring to early-stage innovation. Gethers and Haney didn’t follow the traditional MBA arc; they stepped into Harvard Business School after first building companies and raising a proof-of-concept fund that backed 45 startups. That’s not textbook execution — it’s hustle redefined.

In my experience, the most impactful founders often come from unconventional paths, and these two fit the mold perfectly. Gethers, raised in poverty in Washington State, and Haney, who grew up raising poultry on an Arkansas farm, bring grit and diverse lived experience to their investing lens. That shapes how they see potential — not just pedigree.

Their fund targets enterprise tech across sectors — fintech, logistics, healthcare, and AI — with checks ranging from $500,000 at pre-seed to $750,000 at seed. More than the numbers, it’s their thesis that stands out: they’re closing the gap between frontier technologies and the fuel they need to scale. Too many brilliant ideas stall not because they lack vision, but because the right capital isn’t convinced. Meridian is betting on the belief that ambition deserves runway.

They’ve proven the model already — first with a scrappy $2.5 million fund, now with $35 million from banks, family offices, and Fortune 500 executives. That kind of momentum doesn’t happen by accident.

For founders building in the trenches, especially those with MBAs — deferred or not — this is more than a headline. It’s validation. And for investors watching from the sidelines, it’s a signal: sometimes, the most promising outliers are the ones who took a detour before the dive.

See how the bet plays out — start by exploring their journey.