Founder

In the earliest stage of building a business (pre-seed), we help founders to refine their ideas, understand their customers, and develop innovative products and business models.

Top Resources For Founders

Embark on your entrepreneurial journey with VIP-C. Whether you're a first-time founder or second-time entrepreneur, VIP-C offers an inclusive space for abundant learning, networking, and community-building.
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Innovation Fund
The Innovation Fund exists to fund creative and meaningfully innovative ventures from the Penn student community.

The Summer Venture Award (SVA) of $10,000 is intended to assist students financially over the summer in lieu of full-time internships so that they can concentrate on developing their entrepreneurial ventures.

This award is now offered to participants of the Startup Challenge
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VIP-Incubator (VIP-INC)
Our 3-month, cohort-based incubator is designed to help founders transform strong ideas into market-ready solutions and tactfully navigate the challenges of launching a new business.
The Startup Challenge is a competition for Penn student-founded ventures where student entrepreneurs pitch to a live audience and alumni judges to show their startups are ready to become the next big thing!

For dedicated student and alumni entrepreneurs with advanced startups, VIP-X propels your venture towards rapid growth and investment readiness with targeted support, non-dilutive funding, and other resources.
The Food Innovation Lab is an 800-sq. ft. facility that supports a unique cohort of food and beverage startups at Penn.
Now Accepting Applications For Fall 2022
Our Retail Lab is a flexible retail space to showcase successful alumni and student ventures, to inspire Penn students and provide active learning opportunities.
The Wharton Scale School workshop series in San Francisco guides entrepreneurs making the transition from a successful startup to a large enterprise. Hear from experts who share solutions to critical challenges faced by rapidly growing companies.
Compete for a slice of more than $300,000 in cash and in-kind awards to help launch your venture!

Founder Events & Workshops

05
December
Stepful is an edtech startup that provides a training platform building accelerated and online allied healthcare programs. Carl has over 15 years of experience working at high-growth startups like Uber, Airbnb and Handy. He also served as the global head of direct-to-consumer business at Handy and was responsible for expanding Amino Apps' business internationally.

This is an ideal opportunity for students interested in learning more about edtech, healthcare entrepreneurship, DTC, and high-growth startups.

Sign up for 1:1 Sessions as well (1pm to 4pm): Register Here
18
November
Join the Venture Lab Visiting Experts program on Monday,November 18th as we host Bernardo Garcia (G'21, WG'21), Co-Founder of Felix Pago.
20
November
Learn the full menu of financing options for starting or acquiring a venture w/financing expert, Keith Kohler - K2 Financing

Retail Lab Founder Series: Fernando Rojo, CEO of Patos

Fernando Rojo, C’19, CEO of PATOS has been featured in Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Refinery29, Buzzfeed, NBC News, CNBC, and more. Patos provided work for over a dozen local artisans in Peru's impoverished cities to handcraft sneakers for PATOS.
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Video Companion

Related Articles & Stories

Find out what's happening with founders across the #entrePENNeur community! Want to tell your story? Contact us at venturelab@upenn.edu.
December 13, 2024 02:00 AM
PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Penn Center for Health, Devices, and Technology (Penn Health-Tech) and Venture Lab are excited to announce the launch of the Emerging Leaders in Health Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn ELITE Fellowship). This new initiative will prepare the next generation of health-tech innovators and support the commercialization of university-developed technologies, bridging academia and the healthcare industry.
5 Min Read
December 06, 2024 02:43 AM
Through the four-year consulting program at Penn, undergrads get real-time experience with startups almost from the minute they step on campus.
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October 04, 2024 12:42 PM
via Kelly Yang, The Daily Pennsylvanian
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June 06, 2024 03:05 PM
Alumni entrepreneurs who launched successful startups through Venture Lab return to guide a new wave of student innovators.
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April 22, 2024 02:50 PM
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!
1 Min Read