The Polsky Incubator is a program for ambitious startups that are built to scale quickly. Teams committed and equipped with the skills necessary to solve an important problem for a large number of users are encouraged to apply. If you have a prototype built, a team in place, and you’re ready to run, we invite you to apply to the Polsky Incubator. The Incubator’s current cohort includes teams from across Chicago as well as UChicago alumni.

Applications are open to alumni of the University and its partner institutions (e.g., Argonne, Fermi, and University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), as well as entrepreneurs from our South Side community and across Chicago. Startups with solo founders will not be accepted. In all cases, a component of the application review will include the ways in which the startup articulates a growth path which is inclusive of current students (e.g., interns or cofounders), partnering with researchers on campus, utilizing equipment on campus, or growing in the Hyde Park area of the city. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and will be reviewed quarterly.

Please note: teams should apply to the Incubator after completing NVC and/or I-Corps, if applicable. We do not accept solo founders.