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Accelerate Your Journey

Accelerate

The Sullivan Center offers an array of opportunities – often in collaboration with campusand community partners — to help you take an idea for a venture and begin building it into something more.

Learn more about the different systems in place to help you accelerate your entrepreneurial journey below.

Venture Fellows

The Center offers interdisciplinary teams of Student Venture Fellows the opportunity to work directly with founders and faculty to support deep market analysis, the development of business plans, the assessment of commercialization pathways for novel research, and to generate pro-forma financials. Projects are guided by an experienced mentor and may include academic credit for Student Fellows.

Students interested in gaining real-world experience with new ventures and early commercialization analysis should contact us at sullivanentrepreneurship@ucsd.edu.

Early-stage companies or faculty interested in the support of graduate level expertise may also contact the Sullivan Center at sullivanentrepreneurship@ucsd.edu. Please note that we can accommodate a limited number of projects per quarter.

More about Venture Fellows

StartR Accelerators

StartR Accelerators provide students, alumni, and researchers with robust training, mentorship, and an ecosystem of resources to advance entrepreneurial ideas from concept to impact. StartR was founded in 2012 and has yielded over 100 companies that have raised more than $100M in the last ten years. 

FUNDING: All StartR Teams are eligible to apply for Catalyst Funding to support their venture. Applications open at the end of each StartR program.

More advanced Teams may want to consider StartR Stage 2.

StartR Rady

StartR Rady is a multi-session accelerator that supports students with novel, impactful, and inclusive venture concepts. Teams should include members with business acumen, and preferably with a Rady graduate student. All accelerators are free of charge.

Apply for StartR Rady : Opens in September

Important Dates:

  • Info sessions/networking – TBD
  • Applications due – TBD
  • Program Start – TBD

Who can participate?
StartR is open to any UC San Diego student, staff or faculty or UC San Diego alum. 

How do I apply?
Applications will open in September. Now accepting applications for StartR Stage 2

Questions?
Email Diana at sullivanentrepreneurship@rady.ucsd.edu

StartR Inclusion-Impact

StartR Inclusion + Impact is a multi-session accelerator that supports novel ventures with an emphasis on those that consider improving social and/or environmental conditions. The accelerator also focuses on creating an inclusive team. It is preferred that teams include a member from an underrepresented population in entrepreneurship. 

Apply now for StartR Inclusion+Impact

Important Dates:

  • Info sessions/networking – January 17, 2024 RSVP
  • Applications due – February 29, 2024
  • Program Start – March 6, 2024

Who can participate?
StartR is open to any UC San Diego student, staff or faculty or UC San Diego alum. 

How do I apply?
Applications are now open! Apply by February 29th

Questions?
Email Diana at sullivanentrepreneurship@rady.ucsd.edu

 

A sample of Rady StartR Teams

StartBlue Accelerator

StartBlue is an accelerator from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography & Rady School of Management that supports the formation of advanced science and engineering startups tackling ocean-focused challenges and solutions integrated into science, industry, investment, and government networks. For more information visit the startBlue webpage.

Triton Innovation Challenge

The Triton Innovation Challenge focuses on fostering creativity and bringing to the spotlight commercially promising, environmentally focused technologies generated by the finest minds at UC San Diego. Supported through the generosity of The William and Kathryn Scripps Family Foundation Inc., the program is presented through a partnership of the Rady School of Management, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Jacobs School of Engineering, and is open to the entire campus.

Apply by January 12, 2024 (NOON)

Important Dates:

  • Info sessions/networking - November 29, 2023 at noon  RSVP Here
  • Applications due – January 10, 2024
  • Applicants notified of status – January 18, 2024
  • I-Corps Programming – January 25-February 22, 2024
  • Semifinals – February 28, 2024
  • Finals – April 11, 2024 RSVP Here

 

Eligibility: 

The Triton Innovation Challenge is open to current students, faculty and staff from across UC San Diego. Previous applicants who were non-winners are welcome to reapply.

Semifinalists:
Semifinalists will be encouraged to participate in NSF I-Corps™ programming to prepare for their presentation. Those selected to move on to the finals will receive additional mentorship to help in their preparation.

Questions?
Contact SullivanEntrepreneurship@rady.ucsd.edu

Catalyst Funds

The Catalyst Fund provides financial support to help students or student teams advance new venture opportunities. Students must apply for support, and include:

  • Market opportunity
  • Value proposition
  • Barriers and competition
  • General business model
  • Project milestones

Awardees are required to submit milestone-based reports and a final report that includes how funds were used, what progress was made, and an outline of next steps needed to continue advancing the venture.

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