Top Resources For Investors
The Innovation Fund exists to fund creative and meaningfully innovative ventures from the Penn student community. All funding decisions are made by our Investment Team, which is comprised of students from across the University of Pennsylvania.
A VC fund and network of founders, executives and investors committed to mentoring and investing in leading early-stage, student and alumni founders
Apprenticeship in early-stage venture capital. Pear Fellows work directly with Pear’s Investment Partners to learn how we find, pick, and help the best founders.
Our incredible community of experts, operators, and advisors is built by students and backed by First Round Capital. We give our portfolio companies all the help they need to take their companies to the next level.
Through our network of student investors who receive hands-on training and mentorship from GC, we partner with the brightest student founders across the US.
The Bet on Entrepreneurship program provides First Generation and/or Lower Income members of the Class of 2026 at the University of Pennsylvania with an eight-week, summer immersive placement with San Francisco/Bay Area-based charter venture capital firms.
Red + Blue Ventures is a privately owned and operated, seed and early-stage venture capital fund that invests in companies from the Penn ecosystem.
Investor Events & Workshops
11
January
The Startup Challenge is Venture Lab’s flagship event, bringing together successful entrepreneurial alumni and Penn student entrepreneurs to showcase the best student-founded ventures across Penn’s campus. Teams have the opportunity to win awards from more than $200,000 in cash prizes, in-kind support, and additional resources.
13
November
Join the Venture Lab Visiting Experts program for an in-person session with John Bishop, a seasoned energy industry leader and investor with over two decades of experience spanning investment banking, corporate leadership, and principal investing.
11
November
Join the Venture Lab Visiting Experts program for an in-person session with Kristin Gervasio, Founder of The CM Collective and the only person dual-certified in culinary medicine and as an olive oil sommelier.
12
November
Deep dive into the self-funded ETA model with Prof. Bob Chalfin. Learn how to find, finance, and close your first acquisition.
14
November
Learn more about debt financing options in today's market for acquiring a venture w/financing expert, Keith Kohler of K2 Financing
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.
At Tangen Hall, Penn’s interdisciplinary hub for makers, designers, and entrepreneurs, two alumni chose to leave a lasting mark by naming state-of-the-art labs that reflect their personal journeys. Amish Jani (W'99 and WG'00) and Svetlana Dunaevskaya (WG'06) share how naming spaces in Venture Lab became a way to invest in future entrepreneurs, honor family legacies, and create a sense of belonging across borders.
1 Min Read
Two Venture lab alumni are among this year’s 84 Scholars from 25 countries!
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PHILADELPHIA, MAY 02, 2025–The University of Pennsylvania’s Venture Lab is pleased to announce the 2025 winner of its annual Startup Challenge: Sync Labs, founded by Melanie Herbert, EE'25
5 Min Read
Joseph Kemp, JD, MBA, MSEd (GSE '21), has been recognized on Forbes' 2025 30 Under 30 list in the Games category for his company, Games That Matter, a testament to his innovative approach to gamified education. As the creator of DISBARRED: The Card Game™, Kemp has successfully leveraged his education and the resources at Penn’s Venture Lab to transform how people engage with essential legal knowledge.
3 Min Read
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
Through the four-year consulting program at Penn, undergrads get real-time experience with startups almost from the minute they step on campus.
5 Min Read