Founder
Are you a student entrepreneur driven by a passion for innovation, a desire to challenge the status quo, and a determination to create meaningful change? Do you find yourself brainstorming business ideas between classes, eager to solve real-world problems with fresh solutions? If this sounds like you, our Founder Pathway is your springboard to success, providing the critical resources, expert guidance, and a supportive community necessary to transform your visionary ideas into thriving enterprises while you excel in your studies.
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Programs for Founders

The 2024 Penn Wharton China Entrepreneur Award. is given by Venture Lab and recognizes entrepreneurial achievement in China and worldwide.
VIP-X is an intense, 3-month accelerator program for the most dedicated student entrepreneurs and the most advanced startups.
The Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship Alumni Achievement Award is given by Venture Lab and recognizes excellence in the Wharton and University of Pennsylvania startup community. Recipients are chosen by the Venture Lab Advisory Board.
The Penn Wharton Innovation Fund exists to fund creative and meaningfully innovative ventures from the Penn student community while giving students on the investment team the opportunity to develop skills that will benefit them when pursuing a career in early-stage investing.
The Venture Initiation Program introduces and coaches students through the key aspects of entrepreneurship — from ideation and product development to fundraising, business planning, launching, scaling, and more. VIP is structured into five dynamic programs designed to engage and empower aspiring entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
The social entrepreneurship programming is available to all of the Penn community, inclusive of undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni. Financial award opportunities are open to all students who are enrolled full time in a University of Pennsylvania academic program.
The Startup Challenge is Venture Lab at The University of Pennsylvania’s flagship event, which brings together successful entrepreneurial alumni and Penn student entrepreneurs to showcase the best student-founded ventures from across Penn’s campus. Teams have a chance to win cash prizes, in-kind support, and additional resources.
Wharton Scale School, hosted in conjunction with Wharton’s Lifelong Learning initiative in San Francisco, is designed to guide Bay Area entrepreneurs making the crucial transition from successful startup to scalable enterprise. Our series addresses the critical challenges faced by rapidly growing companies and provides actionable insights and solutions from industry experts.

This program is specifically tailored for startup founders, industry executives, senior management, and leadership teams in the San Francisco/Bay Area who are committed to scaling their businesses effectively and sustainably.

Latest Founders Events

13
November
Interested in how to use AI IRL? Remember when COVID-19 disrupted supply chains across the world?Come listen to Peter Benda (G'92,WG'92) and the Axtom Technologies team explain how they used AI to rebuild and modernize the supply chain of the future.This workshop is perfect for students interested in AI, procurement/supplier processes, and SaaS/B2B.
11
November
Navigating the legal world while launching or growing your startup can be a labyrinth. Whether you're exploring venture formation, creating founders' agreements, drafting your first contracts, or considering taking VC money, understanding the legal aspects can be complicated and confusing.

Have all of these questions or more, especially around technology, security, and corporations? Gain some clarity with an AMA and 1:1 meeting with Venture Lab’s Legal Visiting Expert, Arina Shulga, Partner at Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.

Want to do a 1:1 as well? Sign up here: https://go.oncehub.com/ArinaShulga

For questions, email Margaret Chen (margchen@wharton.upenn.edu)
28
October
Join the Venture Lab Visiting Experts program on Monday, October 28th as we host Rajat Mishrai, Founder and CEO of Prezent AI.
Latest Founders News
Alumni entrepreneurs who launched successful startups through Venture Lab return to guide a new wave of student innovators.
Jochi, founded by Yash Dhir, SEAS'24, and Rahul Nambiar, SEAS'24, has been making waves in the Penn startup scene, securing multiple awards and recognition, including Venture Lab's 2024 Startup Challenge's Launch Award, The AI at Wharton Award, The Audience Choice Award, the Draper Bridge Fund Award and has also taken home the prestigious President's Innovation Prize!
PHILADELPHIA, APRIL 16, 2024–The University of Pennsylvania’s Venture Lab is pleased to announce the winner of its annual Startup Challenge: Nirby, founded by Piotr Lazarek SEAS'25 W'25. Nirby is a real-time soil analytics and farmland management tool for large agricultural enterprises, leveraging satellite data and proprietary drone systems to deliver actionable insights within minutes. The tool enables up to 40% savings on fertilizer expenses and up to 15% increase in crop yields.