Venture Fellows
Accelerating the campus entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Venture Fellows Program supports UC San Diego laboratory innovators and early-stage founders to evaluate the commercialization potential of new technology and to validate the potential of new ventures.
To date, 115 students from 12 disciplines have participated in 31 projects.
Eligibility
Founders: Graduate students, alumni, and faculty with commercially promising science or technology.
Student Venture Fellows: Current students from any discipline. Graduate students are favored, but undergraduates are often selected. Recent graduates can also be considered.
Project Objectives
Under the guidance of Center Senior Staff and a seasoned Mentor, the Founder(s) and Student Venture Fellows collaboratively address the following, as applicable:
- Deep market research
- Competitive analysis
- Customer discovery
- FDA assessment
- Drafting SBIR commercialization plans
- Craft pro forma financials (for more advanced startups)
Each project culminates in a presentation of the consolidated findings by the Student Fellows to the Founders, Mentor, and Staff/Instructor.
Timing and Commitment
New projects are launched quarterly.
Projects can range from 8-12 weeks and require:
• A one-hour weekly virtual meeting
• Founder’s active participation for 2-4 hours per week
• Student Fellows commitment of 6-8 hours per week
Note: Student Fellows may be eligible for Independent Study (499/199) credit.
Students Interested – fill out this form
Faculty and Founders – fill out this form
