Student

Build the thing. But first build the right thing with NYU's Summer Sprint & Summer Launchpad

Posted By Rebecca Silver
on Sun, Mar 1, 2026

If you’re a founder, especially a technical founder, you already know how to ship. What’s harder (and way more important, especially in the era of AI) is making sure you’re building something people need, and then turning that signal into actual traction.

NYU’s Startup Sprint and Summer Launchpad will take you on that journey: from testing your assumptions with real customers, to building a company that can scale — with coaching, community, and non-dilutive funding to accelerate your growth.

And we have the receipts to prove this works. Jones, Rilla, Loopini, Baton, Brooklinen, Sabai, Kaizntree, Govern for America, Synaptrix Labs, Pepper, Revelio, and many more NYU founders started up in these programs. Learn what the most recent batch of founders had to say about their experience below.

NYU Startup Sprint: Turn uncertainty into clarity in the two most productive weeks of your life.

The next Sprint takes place May 18-29 in NYC

Startup Sprint is a two-week intensive program that pushes NYU venture teams through rigorous customer discovery, hands-on workshops, and daily 1:1 coaching and feedback — all aimed at reaching problem-solution fit.

What you’ll actually do in the Sprint:

You’ll talk to customers. A lot. Teams are expected to lead 50+ interviews in two weeks, get feedback from coaches who have built ventures, and translate what you learn into experiments, prototypes, and sharper decisions. We call this the no BS way to get clarity on your venture – all while building relationships with your customers so you can translate those into pilots and sales.

"Two weeks of J-Sprint meant zero theory and nonstop execution. Customer calls, product cuts, pricing pressure-tests, and hard decisions—fast. Exactly the environment Clairdoc needed." — Bakhtawar Bashir (SPS ’26), Co-Founder of Clairdoc

What you get (besides momentum):

Startup Sprint teams also receive funding and practical support like:

“The Sprint forced us to move fast and test real assumptions instead of hiding behind ideas and our laptops. We spoke directly with users, challenged our original thesis, and walked away with much more clarity about the problem we’re solving and how to validate it.” – Sharon Melzer (SPS '27), Co-Founder of VenueHopper

Summer Launchpad: The shortest path to an investible company.

Summer Launchpad takes place Jun 9 - Aug 6 in NYC

If Sprint helps you find clarity, Summer Launchpad helps you turn that clarity into a company. Summer Launchpad is NYU’s 9-week accelerator for scalable startups. Selected ventures get one-on-one mentorship with founders and investors, deep-dive workshops (sales, fundraising, operations, product), pro-bono legal services, cloud credits, and a finale Demo Day with investors and mentors. Crucially for student founders: the program includes $15,000 in non-dilutive, zero-equity funding.

What you’ll actually do in Summer Launchpad:

You’ll pressure test your entire business model to meet customer acquisition, product, and and financial milestones you set for your venture. The program is customized for each venture with bespoke support from world class entrepreneur and investor mentors. Through weekly experimentation sprints, investor board meetings, and pitch deck support in preparation for the finale demo day, you’ll hone your business and grow your customer base, in preparation for fundraising.

“SLP was a game-changer for Pupil — it taught me how to truly scale, unlocked an entirely new market opportunity, and connected us with investors and founders who are now passionately championing our vision.” — Dario Anaya (Gallatin ’26), Founder of Pupil

What you get:

Summer Launchpad teams get over $90k in money and perks, plus a support team dedicated to your success:

  • $15,000 in non-dilutive funding
  • Up to $75,000 Microsoft for Startups credits (in addition to $25k from Startup Sprint)
  • 1:1 mentorship with a dedicated team of founders and investors
  • Workshops on fundraising, customer acquisition, product development, and business operations, led by experts in the field
  • Pro-bono legal guidance from Brown Rudnick
  • A community of founders building alongside you, plus 24/7 co-working space at the Leslie eLab

“Summer Launchpad was a crash course in building smarter, faster, and with purpose. We pivoted three times, honed in on our ideal customers, and walked away with a clear go-to-market plan.” — Julia Kingsley (Stern ’26), Co-Founder of Context Data

Speed and Strategy

These programs are built for the kind of progress you can feel — because it’s the kind that changes what you do next.

"I came into the Sprint not thinking our vision was possible... now we're launching next month" — Julius Chu (Tisch ’27), Co-Founder of Melodi

– Damiano Messina (CAS ‘23), Founder of Loopini, and friends, accepting the award for “Best Pitch” from the demo day at the NYU Entrepreneurs Festival last October. Since the 2025 Summer Launchpad, Loopini won the Shelfie Award for Best Frozen Food 2025, launched at Whole Foods Market & Wegmans.

“Summer Launchpad taught me that clarity in the problem you’re solving is worth more than any feature you could build.” — Sai Dhruv (SPS ’26), Co-Founder of Twinning Labs

If you’ve been heads-down in code, the Summer Launchpad and Startup Sprint is the reset that gets you out of the building, and helps you create real traction.

“Coming from a technical background, we thought success meant building the best features. The Startup Sprint bridges the gap between having a cool idea and building a viable business… The rigorous coaching and honest feedback saved us months of development time by forcing us to validate the problem before writing a single line of code.” — Arnab Bhowal (Tandon ’26), Co-Founder of Shuttl (in Stealth)

Is this for you?

Startup Sprint and Summer Launchpad are a great fit if:

  • You're building a highly-scalable and differentiated venture
  • You’ve built a prototype (or proof of concept) and need real market clarity on your go to market
  • You may have early revenue or pilots but are having trouble attracting new customers
  • You've done early customer validation in NYU’s half day Startup Bootcamp
  • You’re ready to commit time, move fast, and get direct feedback
  • You want coaching, community, and accountability — not just content

You do not need everything figured out. You need the willingness to test, learn, and iterate quickly — with a community that encourages you and holds you accountable to do the work.

“If I do become a successful founder, it wouldn't have been possible without this program.” — Yannick Bierens (Courant ’25), Founder of Visibly (in Stealth)

How to apply:

There is a shared application for Startup Sprint and Summer Launchpad, so you only need to apply once to be considered for both. Applications are due Wednesday, March 25 at 6pm ET.

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