"BUILD" Programs Overview
Supporting entrepreneurs and innovators across UConn by providing funding, programs, and mentorship to help accelerate their ventures.
Get Seeded
Have an innovative idea that could be the next big thing? Need a spark to help an idea evolve?
Get Seeded provides students with the opportunity to pitch their ideas to an audience of their peers. Selected teams have an opportunity to pitch and earn up to $1,000 in seed funding. Students that do not yet have ideas or who are not ready to pitch are invited to attend and vote on the current pitches!
Traction
Supporting UConn-affiliated startups as they work through their concept in research-based technology!
Participants will learn the key elements of the Business Model Canvas (BMC) and the lean startup methodology. They will engage in customer discovery efforts that will allow them to better understand the market they are entering and the value they plan to provide to key stakeholders in the process. The program is open to undergraduate and graduate students across all schools at UConn.
Accelerate UConn
Aiding entrepreneurial teams in research-based technology such as early-stage medical & scientific devices!
Accelerate UConn is UConn's NSF I-Corps program that helps undergraduate students, graduate students, & alumni determine the commercial potential for their new ideas, technology, and products. The program aids in developing strategies for bringing innovation to the marketplace.
Summer Fellowship
Launch your business in this 8-week entrepreneurial experience!
The top ten startups from across UConn are selected to participate in Summer Fellowship. This program takes place three days a week over eight weeks, where participants develop the skills needed to bring new products, services, and technologies to market. Each team receives one-on-one coaching and mentorship from industry experts and experienced entrepreneurs. Teams are provided with pro bono legal and accounting services to help with initial business setup and support.
The Wolff New Venture Competition
Featuring five of the top startups coming out of UConn each year!
After an eight-week accelerator (Summer Fellowship), the top five startups are selected to compete in this competition, chosen on a basis of venture viability and value added to the market. A panel of venture experts then decides which team deserves the Wolff New Venture Prize and the $25,000 winnings accompanying it!
Discover Our Other Program Sectors:
- BUILD: Supporting entrepreneurs and innovators across UConn by providing funding, programs, and mentorship to help accelerate their ventures. Programs under this pillar include: Get Seeded, Traction, Accelerate UConn, Summer Fellowship, and The Wolff New Venture Competition.
- DEVELOP: Experiential learning and internship programs engage students with startups and small businesses in Connecticut. Programs under this pillar include: BUILD Hartford, Verge Consulting Program, Family Business Program, and the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp For Veterans (EBV).
- CONNECT: Fostering a diverse and collaborative community of students, faculty, and alumni entrepreneurs and innovators, all while supporting the greater entrepreneurship ecosystem within the state. Programs under this pillar include: Timely Topics, xCITE, CCEI Mentor Network, Entrepreneurial Leadership Program, and CCEI's Student Ambassadors Program.