Calling all early-stage quantum startups: Duality Accelerator invites you to pitch your quantum innovation on a global stage. Apply to compete in the Q2B26 x Chicago Quantum Summit Pitch Competition and showcase your startup to hundreds of venture capitalists, investors, and industry leaders—live on December 8, 2026. What’s… Read More
The UChicago Science Incubator enables early-stage science and technology startups to translate ideas into commercial opportunities. Read More
The Polsky Center and the Harry L. Davis Center for Leadership at the University of Chicago present the Polsky Founders Circles, a virtual place where you can connect with fellow founders to take stock of your company’s current challenges and opportunities and receive coaching from experts… Read More
Alchemist Chicago, a premier early-stage startup accelerator focused on foundational technology, is a partnership between Alchemist and the University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Up to 30 startups will be selected to participate in a Polsky Center Startup Bootcamp from which a select group of up to 10… Read More
Advance your early-stage startup with access to Alchemist’s Silicon Valley best practices and capital pathways, and UChicago’s innovation ecosystem. Read More
The AI Research Commons Midwest Fellows Program is a highly selective program connecting high-potential, inception-stage AI startups emerging from leading Midwest research universities with infrastructure, mentorship, and national investor networks. Launched in collaboration with the AI Research Commons (ARC), Microsoft, and NVIDIA, the program is open to faculty,… Read More
The UChicago Deep Tech Demo Day is a premier showcase of next-generation deep tech ventures, taking place on July 20th during TechChicago Week. Set against the backdrop of a city rapidly establishing itself as a national hub for quantum infrastructure and advanced research, the event convenes… Read More
Join us for the finals of the 30th annual Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC). NVC finalists will present to a panel of judges comprised of top investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders. Prizes — which include cash awards and in-kind services such as legal and professional consulting services… Read More
The George Shultz Innovation Fund finals will feature startup teams who have been selected as finalists for potential investment. Each team will pitch to the advisory committee, consisting of advisors, entrepreneurs, and industry experts for a chance to receive up to $250,000 in investment funding for promising early-stage ventures in… Read More
Join the Polsky Center and Liz Fischer, growth-stage tech CEO and Chicago Booth MBA ’15, for an informative workshop for founders and startup leaders who want to stop chasing every lead and start focusing on their highest-potential market. This session will help you evaluate the right size market for your… Read More
Join the Polsky Center and Phil Leslie for a dynamic follow up to his previous workshop exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping competitive intelligence and strategic decision-making. You already know how to prompt AI; now it’s time to build systems that act. This session explores how to set up autonomous… Read More
The Polsky Center Build and Launch summer accelerators give teams the opportunity to work intensively and solely on their businesses and social enterprises in a collaborative and dynamic environment over the summer. The Build accelerator allows students to focus on building the key elements of their venture and validating assumptions around their market or customers,… Read More