Apply to join iVenture 4 (2018-2019)! Final wave applications are due April 30, 2018. Read info below and apply here.
The iVenture Accelerator is the educational accelerator for top student startups at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It is a capstone entrepreneurship experience for our campus’ most ambitious student startups – and provides them the knowledge, funding, mentorship, peer support, and resources necessary to grow and scale.
The opportunity to work full-time for 10-weeks over the summer learning and building with a cohort of other student entrepreneurs is the most important benefit of the accelerator. Additionally, we help you connect to the right advisors, partners, coaches, and funders through networking events both on-campus and in Chicago, and a database of hundreds of supporters in the iVenture Network. We regularly host workshops, talks, and office hours with experienced entrepreneurs, faculty, and leaders, and you’re held accountable to your progress through regular goal-setting and accountability meetings with program staff. iVenture teams receive continued support through our 3-credit hour iVenture Seminar course that meets every Wednesday from 5-7 pm.
Who we are looking for:
We’re looking for exceptional venture teams with the commitment and skills to solve an important problem for a large number of users. We favor teams that have worked with users, built prototypes, have recruited a team, and are taking advantage of available campus resources.
We support all ventures creating tech, social, commercial, or cultural value, and have supported teams working on mobile apps, medical devices, nonprofits, ag-tech, and more. Have a look at the 37 ventures we’ve worked with thus far in iVenture cohorts one, two, and three.
We’re now looking to build out iVenture Accelerator’s 4th cohort! To qualify for the iVenture Accelerator, teams must have:
- 2-4 founders or management level teammates work in iVenture full-time for 10 weeks in the summer based in a Research Park co-working space. A majority of your team members must be UIUC students. Non-UIUC students do not receive stipends.
- A majority of your team must enroll in or audit a 3-credit hour iVenture Seminar course in Fall ’18 and Spring ’19. Offered as BADM395 and TE498.
- Be actively working on a venture creating either tech, social, commercial, or cultural value.
How to apply:
We have three application waves each year.
Applications are completed online via the F6S platform. Applications should be submitted by one individual on behalf of your venture team. The application asks for questions about your venture, team, progress, and references. Program staff may follow-up for additional information, and finalist teams are invited for an in-person interview.
*Every applicant is provided feedback on their application, and can re-apply in a following wave. If you will re-apply, please notify Manu Edakara (medaka2@illinois.edu).
The deadline to apply for the final Wave is Monday, April 30thth at 11:59 pm. Apply here today!
Other important application dates:
- iVenture Accelerator Info Night: 5-7 pm 10/26 @ SDRP
- Wave 1 applications due: Monday, November 6th at 11:59 pm.
- Wave 2 applications due: Monday, February 26th at 11:59 pm.
- Wave 3 applications due: Monday, April 30th at 11:59 pm. This wave occurs after the Cozad New Venture Competition.