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This program is Part 2 in our

Startup Accelerator Program

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Startup Sprint

Mon, May 19 - Fri, May 30, 2025

Startup Sprints are two-week intensive programs for NYU ventures to test their business models and solutions directly with customers. Via rigorous customer discovery, interactive workshops, and daily coaching and feedback, participants will aim to launch successful businesses that meet their customers’ needs – we call this “problem-solution fit.” In addition to coaching and training, you will also be provided with legal office hours, grant funding, 24/7 co-working space at the Leslie eLab, $5K in AWS credits, peer support from your cohort of startup teams, and more!

Application Deadline

Applications for the 2025 Summer Startup Sprint will open in February ’25. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, March 19 at 6pm ET.

Who Can Apply?

Open to all NYU student, faculty, or staff-led teams who have:

A proof of concept/prototype
Validated their target customer segment
Are building a highly-scalable, differentiated venture
Completed a Startup Bootcamp

Benefits

$500 for all teams and eligibility to apply for an additional $500 in follow-on funding
$5,000 in Amazon Web Services credits
Legal advice from Fenwick & West LLP
Daily 1-on-1 startup coaching

Success Stories

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Resist Nutrition makes plant-based, keto protein bars filled with science-backed ingredients with functional benefits for hormone health and blood sugar support.

Drew Lederman

Founder & CEO

(Tisch '20)

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Baton is a blockchain-enabled collaboration protocol designed to facilitate the future of creative digital exchange to help artists maintain control over their material and get the credit they deserve.

Gabe Warshaw

Founder

(Tisch '23)

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Dathic creates an AI-based platform for CPG that understands the US Hispanic consumers, recommends the best locations to grow and connect communities with the products they love.

Laura Rocha

Co-founder

(Wagner '20)

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By creating the world’s first tattoo that fades in a year, Ephemeral gives everyone the opportunity to express their individuality without fear or regret.

Anthony Lam

Co-Founder

(Tandon '15)

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Frich is the first social finance app that enables Gen Z to develop mindful spending habits by setting goals together with friends and keeping each other accountable. Imagine a fitness app but for your finances.

Aleksandra Medina

Founder

(Abu Dhabi '21)

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A platform that connects artists and venues to create unforgettable shows.

Mir Hwang

Co-founder

(CAS '19)

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Jones is a judgement-free journey to a vape-less life, through a personalized nicotine replacement subscription, behavioral support and digital community.

Caroline Huber

Co-Founder

(Stern '23)

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Matching individuals with quality therapists to ease access to a personalized healing relationship and enable therapists to help more people.

Alyssa Petersel

Founder & CEO

(Silver '17)

Meet the Founder

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All-natural food products packed with endocrine supportive nutrients that can naturally improve menstrual symptoms.

Britt Martin

Co-Founder

(GSAS '17)

Meet the Founder

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Visura is a curated market-network for publishers to discover and hire the world’s top freelance visual journalists.

Adriana Teresa Letorney

Co-founder

(GSAS '21)

Dathic creates an AI-based platform for CPG that understands the US Hispanic consumers, recommends the best locations to grow and connect communities with the products they love.

Founder(s)

Laura Rocha (Wagner '20) |
Jose Daniel Ramirez |
Luis Felipe Giraldo
Santiago Alvarez
Diana Prieto
Juan David Ramirez

Website

dathic.com

Social

Participated in

By creating the world’s first tattoo that fades in a year, Ephemeral gives everyone the opportunity to express their individuality without fear or regret.

Founder(s)

Anthony Lam (Tandon '15) |
Joshua Sakhai (Stern '18) |
David Shin (Tandon '15) |
Brennal Pierre, PhD (Tandon '15) |
Vandan Shah, PhD (Tandon '16) |

Website

ephemeraltattoos.com

Social

Participated in

Founder(s)

Aleksandra Medina (Abu Dhabi '21) |
Katrin Kaurov (Abu Dhabi '19) |

Website

getfrich.com

Social

Participated in

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What You Can Expect

Teams can expect to start off running with:

Daily Coaching: You will meet with the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute’s own team of startup founders, designers and investors to help you define and achieve your goals.
Daily Workshops: Led by experts from the Institute and the NYC startup community, workshops take a hands-on approach to exploring all aspects of your business model.
Founder Talks: Learn from those who have been in your shoes. Derive insights from their stories and ask them all your questions!
Customers: Get to know your target customers by “getting out of the building” and talking directly to prospective users, buyers and partners. We expect you to lead at least 50 interviews during the course of the program (and some past teams have done over 100).
Experimentation: You will learn how to create and run experiments and prototypes, to inform business decisions.
Global Community: Work alongside (and learn from) a diverse community of NYU startup founders around the world, who are going through this process just like you! Students and staff from all NYU campuses are welcome to apply – though the program will take place in person on NYU’s Washington Square campus in New York City.

Who the Startup Sprint is For - Your Team

Open to teams of NYU entrepreneurs from any school or college:

Attending an Info Session: We want to know you understand what you’re signing up for. Therefore, attendance at a Startup Accelerator Program info session is mandatory.
Progress via Coaching: Teams must have demonstrated they’re making continued progress on their venture AND demonstrate they clearly benefit from coaching and are receptive to feedback.
Completed a Startup Bootcamp, or received a waiver from the program Director to bypass this requirement.
2+ Team Members: At least two team members must be able to participate in the program full time. Only one team member needs to be a founder.
NYU affiliation: Only one founder has to be an NYU student/staff member or recent alumni (having graduated in Spring 2024 or later).
Right Skillsets: Preference will be given to well-rounded, multi-disciplinary teams whose skills/experiences match the venture they’re creating and who are deeply passionate about the problem they’re solving for their customers.
Commitment: Teams of two or more must be committed to their startup full time (at least 40 hours per week) and able to participate in ALL program activities for the nine weeks (absences need to be disclosed in the application). Teams must be committed to launching their venture after the program (if not before).
Buy-In: Understand the requirements of the program and have an openness to customer development and the work required by the program.
Community-Minded: Demonstrated willingness to help other startup teams and interest in being part of a community.

Who the Startup Sprint is For - Your Venture

Ventures should have the potential to be highly scalable and differentiated, including scalable tech, non-profit and social ventures. Beyond that we look for ventures with:

A validated initial target customer segment (validated via customer discovery/experiments).
Solving a Meaningful problem: The problem you’re solving with your venture has the potential to bring substantive, scalable, and tangible value to customers and other beneficiaries, with potential to scale value/impact to a large market/beneficiary sector in the future.
Proof of Concept/Prototype: We’ll look at your proof of concept and your plans for how you’ll take your solution to the next level to validate it with customers during the Sprint (getting you to product-market fit). Prototypes can take many forms depending on your venture – a website, Figma prototype, sketch, MVP, demonstration project, or white paper – depending on the nature of your business.

Benefits

Each team will receive funding and perks to put toward their business venture, including:

Funding: $500 for all teams and eligibility to apply for an additional $500 in follow-on funding (for select teams – must apply for the additional $500 separately after the program concludes). All funding is offered in the form of reimbursement for customer discovery and prototyping-related expenses.
Perks: $5,000 in Amazon Web Services credits
Legal Advice: Legal advice from Fenwick & West LLP
Coaching: Dedicated coaching with members of the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute coaching team and Founders in Residence
Preferred Office Hours: With VCs, accountants and Entrepreneurs in Residence, after the program — perks ONLY available to Sprint, Summer Launchpad, Tech Venture Program and Female Founders Fellowship participants.
Summer Launchpad Consideration: Some teams will be considered for participation in the NYU Summer Launchpad nine-week long accelerator, following their completion of the Sprint.
Preferred Review for Female Founders Fellows: Sprint participants who are demonstrating support for gender equity in entrepreneurship will be poised to participate in the Female Founders Fellowship after their successful completion of the program. Learn more.