NYU faculty, PhD students, postdocs, and researchers have two upcoming resources to accelerate their research commercialization journey: The next Tech Venture Accelerator (TVA) will take place this coming academic year (application deadline this fall), and a comprehensive new external calendar makes it easier than ever to track key opportunities across the entire Tech Venture Program and beyond!

Tech Venture Accelerator: Transform Your Research Into a Scalable Venture

The NYU Tech Venture Accelerator represents the culmination of the three-part Tech Venture Program, designed to help research-driven teams make the critical leap from prototype to market-ready venture. As the final stage following the Tech Venture Workshop and NSF I-Corps, TVA provides the intensive support needed to launch scalable startups based on NYU research.

Key Program Details:

• Funding: $50,000 in non-dilutive grant funding
• Perks: $25k Google for Startups credits, up to $100k Microsoft for Startups credits, pro-bono legal incorporation, SBIR/STTR grant writing support and more
• Application Deadline: Fall '26 (exact date TBA)
• Program Start & Duration: Starting Fall ‘26 / Winter ‘27 and runs for 6 months
• Target Participants: Deep tech research faculty, postdocs, and PhD students from any NYU school or college with lab prototypes ready for commercial/testbed pilots

Beyond the substantial funding and perks, TVA participants receive one-on-one coaching and mentorship from deep tech startup experts, founders, and investors. The program includes hands-on training in evidence-based startup best practices, following a milestone-based approach that has already produced notable success stories, including companies like Vital Audio, which developed voice-based cardiac monitoring technology, and Portable Diagnostic Systems, which created multi-substance analysis systems. Both companies were able to unlock millions of dollars in non-dilutive funding and venture capital as a direct result of graduating from the program.

By design, at the completion of the TVA program, teams are expected to have secured customer pilots, generated early revenue, and positioned themselves for SBIR/STTR funding or venture capital investment. The program is made possible through the generous support of Mark Leslie (ARTS '66) and Debra Leslie, reflecting NYU's commitment to fostering real-world impact through scientific and technological innovation.

About the NYU Tech Venture Program (TVP)

The Tech Venture Program (TVP) represents NYU's systematic approach to research commercialization, providing a structured pathway that moves founders from initial disclosure through customer discovery to venture launch. The program offers up to $102,000 in total non-dilutive funding across its three stages, introducing teams to evidence-based commercialization practices embraced by venture capitalists, startup accelerators, and federal agencies.

The Three-Stage Journey:

1. Tech Venture Workshop (TVW): A three half-day immersive program providing up to $2,000 in reimbursable funding for customer discovery, prototyping, conference and travel expenses
2. NSF I-Corps: Following successful TVW completion, teams become eligible for the NSF I-Corps program with $50,000 in grant funding
3. Tech Venture Accelerator (TVA): The final stage providing $50,000 in funding and intensive mentorship and programmatic guidance for venture launch

Eligibility Requirements for TVA

TVA is open to NYU research faculty and their teams who have completed stages 1 and 2 of the Tech Venture Program above and are ready to take the next steps to commercialize their research via standing up a new venture outside the university. This summer/fall is your last chance to complete these pre-requisites. Apply to the summer Tech Venture Workshop today and to NSF I-Corps to participate in Summer/Fall to be considered for TVA in this cycle (next cycle is ~2 years away).

Beyond the prerequisite, applicants should have:

• A lab prototype ready for commercial or testbed pilots
• Conducted rigorous customer discovery (>50 interviews with potential customers, via NSF I-Corps or equivalent)
• Have a core foundation of the business model for their new company
• Teams of 2 or more working on deep technology research developed in NYU's research labs

Further at the time of application (this fall), applicants should be prepared to start a company (outside NYU), with:

• Key team members (typically postdocs or PhDs) ready to serve as officers of the company (CEO/COO/CTO); NOTE: Faculty do not need to participate in TVA once these roles are in place
• Should be prepared to license IP from the university to the new company, and complete conflict of interest obligations from the university

TVP External Calendar: Your Comprehensive Planning Resource

Our newly launched Tech Venture Program External Calendar serves as a centralized hub for tracking opportunities across the entire research commercialization ecosystem. This resource addresses a critical need for faculty and researchers to stay informed about application deadlines, program dates, and related funding opportunities.

The calendar encompasses not only NYU-specific programs, such as the Tech Venture Program, but also broader funding landscapes, including SBIR/STTR deadlines, NSF I-Corps cohorts, and other federal agency opportunities. 

Key Features:

• Comprehensive coverage of TVW, I-Corps, and TVA deadlines and program dates
• Integration with federal funding opportunities (SBIR/STTR, NSF, NIH, DoD programs)
• Multi-year planning capability extending through 2029
• Detailed descriptions of each opportunity and associated deadlines

For researchers working on cutting-edge science or engineering at NYU, these resources lower the barriers to commercial translation of research. The external calendar eliminates the guesswork around timing and eligibility, while the TVA program provides a proven framework for venture development backed by substantial funding and expert mentorship.

Check out our upcoming info sessions to learn about our programs designed to support faculty, PhDs, postdocs, and researchers hoping to expand the impact of their research through research commercialization at NYU on May 27^th & June 10^th.