Programs for Founders
VIP-X is an intense, 3-month accelerator program for the most dedicated student entrepreneurs and the most advanced startups.
The Penn Wharton Entrepreneurship Alumni Achievement Award is given by Venture Lab and recognizes excellence in the Wharton and University of Pennsylvania startup community. Recipients are chosen by the Venture Lab Advisory Board.
The Penn Wharton Innovation Fund exists to fund creative and meaningfully innovative ventures from the Penn student community while giving students on the investment team the opportunity to develop skills that will benefit them when pursuing a career in early-stage investing.
The Venture Initiation Program introduces and coaches students through the key aspects of entrepreneurship — from ideation and product development to fundraising, business planning, launching, scaling, and more. VIP is structured into five dynamic programs designed to engage and empower aspiring entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey.
The social entrepreneurship programming is available to all of the Penn community, inclusive of undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni. Financial award opportunities are open to all students who are enrolled full time in a University of Pennsylvania academic program.
The Startup Challenge is Venture Lab at The University of Pennsylvania’s flagship event, which brings together successful entrepreneurial alumni and Penn student entrepreneurs to showcase the best student-founded ventures from across Penn’s campus. Teams have a chance to win cash prizes, in-kind support, and additional resources.
Wharton Scale School, hosted in conjunction with Wharton’s Lifelong Learning initiative in San Francisco, is designed to guide Bay Area entrepreneurs making the crucial transition from successful startup to scalable enterprise. Our series addresses the critical challenges faced by rapidly growing companies and provides actionable insights and solutions from industry experts.
This program is specifically tailored for startup founders, industry executives, senior management, and leadership teams in the San Francisco/Bay Area who are committed to scaling their businesses effectively and sustainably.
This program is specifically tailored for startup founders, industry executives, senior management, and leadership teams in the San Francisco/Bay Area who are committed to scaling their businesses effectively and sustainably.
Latest Founders Events
19
November
As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and business practices, understanding and leveraging sustainable competitive advantages have become more critical than ever. Join us for an engaging panel discussion to explore how AI is transforming the landscape of business strategy.
24
September
Our new Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) program provides training, funding, and guidance to help interested students buy an established small to medium-sized company and operate, optimize, and grow it. Our workshops and events are open to all Penn Students.
25
September
Startup CPG is the world's biggest CPG community, founded by Wharton MBA grad Daniel Scharff. The organization's goal is to help emerging food and beverage brands by providing resources, advice, and networking opportunities.
Daniel is formerly the CEO of standout energy drink brand Machu Picchu Energy, head of strategy at Eat Just, and revenue at Mars Chocolate.
Daniel is formerly the CEO of standout energy drink brand Machu Picchu Energy, head of strategy at Eat Just, and revenue at Mars Chocolate.
17
October
Most recently, customer lifetime value (CLTV) models have integrated AI methods - find out which companies are making progress and how they are charting the customer journey in light of GenAI methods.
09
October
Whether you're interested in pitching your idea, providing feedback, supporting peers, or just seeing what femtech, retail, and gender-focused ventures are spinning out of Penn, you are invited to be a part of the Breaking the Bias Pitch Night. We welcome you to participate in the Breaking the Bias Pitch Night as a pitching founder and/or joiner or as a member of the audience. Following the pitches, we invite everyone to mingle, connect with the founders who pitched, and enjoy light refreshments.
Latest Founders News
via Daily Pennsylvanian
Alumni entrepreneurs who launched successful startups through Venture Lab return to guide a new wave of student innovators.
Jochi, founded by Yash Dhir, SEAS'24, and Rahul Nambiar, SEAS'24, has been making waves in the Penn startup scene, securing multiple awards and recognition, including Venture Lab's 2024 Startup Challenge's Launch Award, The AI at Wharton Award, The Audience Choice Award, the Draper Bridge Fund Award and has also taken home the prestigious President's Innovation Prize!
PHILADELPHIA, APRIL 16, 2024–The University of Pennsylvania’s Venture Lab is pleased to announce the winner of its annual Startup Challenge: Nirby, founded by Piotr Lazarek SEAS'25 W'25. Nirby is a real-time soil analytics and farmland management tool for large agricultural enterprises, leveraging satellite data and proprietary drone systems to deliver actionable insights within minutes. The tool enables up to 40% savings on fertilizer expenses and up to 15% increase in crop yields.
news provided by Kasa Living
by Jeff Schmitt, Poets&Quants
