VIP-X in San Francisco is an accelerator open to Penn alumni and student entrepreneurs in the Bay Area who are founders or leaders of early-stage ventures. This four-month program runs twice per year, in the fall and in the spring. The company must have traction, and the team must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area during their time in the program.
What We're Looking For
The application process for VIP-SF is highly competitive. To ensure you’re ready, we highly recommend that applicants have already taken academic coursework such as MGMT 231/MGMT 806: Venture Implementation, the Wharton Entrepreneurship Specialization on Coursera, or have the requisite hands-on entrepreneurial experience. Here’s what we look for in an application:
Knowledge of Business Fundamentals
Validated Product Market-Fit
Measurable Traction
(i.e. revenue)
Industry Expertise
What You'll Gain
Be part of a community of entrepreneurs and advisors who will optimize your startup’s potential, receive expert advice on how to navigate your startup’s unique challenges and opportunities with one-on-one advising, and connect with a network of alumni entrepreneurs who will inspire and motivate you.
Program Timeline
Please note attendance to VIP-X sessions are mandatory and occur from 7:30 - 9:30a PT
Application Opens
Sunday, December 1
Application Closes
Tuesday, January 21
Review Committee
Friday, January 24
Live Pitches
Friday, January 31
Kick-Off Meeting
Thursday, February 6
VIP-X Sessions
Session 1 | Friday, February 28
Session 2 | Friday, March 14
Session 3 | Thursday, April 3
Session 4 | Thursday, April 17
Session 5 | Thursday, May 1
Session 6 | Friday, May 30
Session 7 | Friday, June 13
Session 2 | Friday, March 14
Session 3 | Thursday, April 3
Session 4 | Thursday, April 17
Session 5 | Thursday, May 1
Session 6 | Friday, May 30
Session 7 | Friday, June 13
VIP-X Exclusives
Alberto and Gay Peisach Mentoring Initiative
VIP-X founders can receive additional support and are matched with alumni mentors with industry and/or specific functional expertise.
A competitive award supporting selected Penn student founders who are currently participating in or have successfully completed VIP-X, who are currently enrolled in a degree granting program at the University of Pennsylvania and are graduating in 2025 with a degree, and who will be working on their venture full time after graduation.
Fall 2024 Cohort
The Fall 2024 cohort of the VIP-X accelerator program introduces a vibrant mix of innovative ventures. Each team brings a fresh perspective to solving contemporary challenges, underlining the program's commitment to nurturing groundbreaking ideas.
The easiest way to make new friends through compatible small groups and preplanned hangouts
Meng Liu, WG'19
Meng Liu, WG'19
Media Mentions
The latest updates from VIP-X alumni
John Wong WG’20, CEO & Founder, Fluid Biotech
Igino Cafiero WG'17, CEO & Founder, Bearflag Robotics
VIP-SF fills a critical gap in startup education that sits between case studies in the classroom and pounding the pavement as a startup founder. The needs and questions in a startup change so frequently and good advice is hard to find because it needs to be relevant to sage and industry. Taking well-meaning advice from a Series B mentor/investor when you're a Seed sage company can kill a business. VIP-SF gave Hostfully a supportive community where we could ask questions of faculty, advisors, and peers who understand the unique challenges of starting a company from the ground up.
- Margot Schmorak, CEO and Co-Founder | Hostfully
VIP helped LuxCreo to: Better structure our organization for alignment and performance, streamline our go-to-market strategy, and focus our mission (3D "Production"). The value of VIP extends far beyond the program. Besides ongoing interactions, referrals and promotions through the Wharton alumni network have been invaluable. Highly recommend the program!
- Mike Yang, WG'04, Chief Operating Officer | LuxCreo Inc.
We sold the company to Accenture early this year. It would not have happened without the training and skills we gained at the VIP Program.
- Marina Diaz Ibarra, WG'12
Partner | Wolox
When I joined the VIP-SF experience, I was not ready to be a founder. After working in consulting pre-Wharton, I did not know what entrepreneurship truly meant. With guidance from VIP and tapping into its resources, I grew and grew. After a pivot, I finally settled into my role as COO of a company that grew to$13M in revenue in 2020. I became more confident in myself.
- Tony Campos, WG'16
Chief Operating Officer | Maclean Health
The program really pushed us to think through many aspects of our business, including articulating our value offering, revisiting our pricing policy, developing our sales strategy, and many other critical issues. Besides receiving candid feedback and sound practical advice, going through the program added a great deal of credibility to our startup.
Hamid Hajian, WG'18
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer | Zebel
It is a great experience, even virtually, as you get one-on-one coaching from two experienced Wharton professors - one focused on entrepreneurial marketing and another from a seasoned investor perspective. The cohort is also a great sounding board and the meetings allow you to test out new ideas and messages in a safe, supportive environment.
Wayne Pan, WG'07
Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer | mynurse.ai
Startup Stories
Find out what's happening across the #entrePENNeur community! Want to tell your story? Contact us at venturelab@upenn.edu.
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