Startup Sprints are two-week programs that teach and support aspiring NYU entrepreneur teams to transform their ideas and inventions into businesses. Whether you are an NYU student, researcher, or faculty, a Startup Sprint will challenge you to deepen your understanding of your customers and to cater your business idea to their needs—we call this "problem-solution fit". During the program, your team will have access to expert startup coaches who will help guide you through this process. You will also be provided with skills-building workshops, grant funding, peer support from your cohort of startup teams, and more!
Past participants have called the Startup Sprints "transformative and groundbreaking," garnering a 9.5/10 average net promoter score from past participants! Program alum have been accepted into Y-Combinator, have won the $300K NYU Entrepreneurs Challenge, and have been gone onto participate in the NYU Summer Launchpad program.
Startup Sprints are held in the winter and in the summer when regular classes are not in session. The next Startup Sprint will take place May 26th-June 5th, 2020 (all day Mon-Fri). Applications were due on Wednesday, March 25th. Meet the teams in the NYU Startup Sprint Summer 2020 Cohort.
The next Startup Sprint will take place on May 26th-June 5th, 2020. The program runs all day, Monday through Friday each day.
PLEASE NOTE: This program is NOT for credit. However, (just like a startup) it REQUIRES a full-time commitment during the program.
Teams can expect to start off running with: Each team will receive funding and perks to put toward their business venture, including: The Startup Sprint is open to teams with at least NYU student (grad or undergrad), faculty or researcher founder from any NYU school or college, with an idea, invention and/or early mock-up or prototype of their product or service. Preference will be given to teams with at least one STEM co-founder who is female or another underrepresented minority in tech/startups. We give strong preference to teams who have completed a Startup Bootcamp at the Leslie eLab. Apply to a Startup Bootcamp today to let us get to know you! A few additional criteria about your team will determine the final selection: We also take into consideration how you answer the following questions about your venture:
What You Can Expect
Benefits You'll Receive
Who It's For
Selection Criteria
How many teams apply and are selected for each Startup Sprint? We typically receive over 60 applications for each Startup Sprint, and select about 12 teams for each cohort. Since the application process is competitive, we strongly advise meeting with a coach AND applying to a Startup Bootcamp to let us get to know your team first. This way, you can stand out from the competition.
What are the basic requirements to be considered? Teams must have two or more founders able to participate full time in the Startup Sprint. At least one founder must be a current student, faculty, researcher, or staff member at the time of application. All participating team members must be committed to their startup full-time during the length of the program, and should be willing to listen to and learn from coaches and customers. Preference is given to teams with at least one female or minority co-founder, and to teams pursuing concepts in STEM focused areas (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math). Other preferred criteria can be found in the "Tell me More" section above.
What types of ventures do you accept? The Startup Sprint is intended for all types of startups which have high-growth potential, including non-profits. Whether focused on social innovation, software, medical devices, physical products, hardware, or other areas, all are welcome to apply!
Do I, or my team members, have to attend an info session to apply? Yes. Info session attendance is mandatory. If you missed a mandatory info session, please email entrepreneur@nyu.edu to request access to the info session video recording.
When and where does it take place? The program runs from Monday January 7 -January 17, 2020, at the Leslie eLab (all day Mon-Fri). All participating team members are expected to attend ALL program activities.
We've already taken some funding. Can we still apply? Yes.
I have another class during this period. Can I still apply? Two or more founding team members must be committed to their startup and able to participate in the Startup Sprint full-time during the program.
Our team has two venture ideas, can we submit multiple applications? Yes. However, if your team is selected for the program, we expect you to be fully committed to the one venture you are selected to participate with.
What's the timeline for the application process? We review applications the week following the application deadline. Then, we invite select teams to interview (10-15 minutes). If you are selected for an interview, you'll be notified of your team's acceptance by the following week after. Select teams may be requested to participate in a Startup Bootcamp before a final acceptance determination can be made. The entire process takes about 3 weeks.
Who will review my application? Senior members of the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute team and NYU Innovation Venture Fund review all applications and lead all interviews. At least three members of the Institute team review each application to ensure a diversity of opinions are considered. Personally identifiable information within applications will not be shared with any external parties for any reason, in accordance with University policy and federal regulations (FERPA).
Do you give feedback on application results? Typically, we do not give specific feedback on applications. However, we’d be happy to meet with your team to give more general feedback and guidance about your startup through our coaching program.
If I applied to a Startup Sprint in the past and was not accepted, can I apply again? Yes we highly encourage repeat applicants, but will expect to see progress made on your venture since your prior application.
Do you have an offline version of the application questions to review Yes, please email entrepreneur@nyu.edu and we'll be happy to share a copy with you.
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