Eligibility:
Early-stage ventures, IP, technologies, and inventions created by faculty and researchers at UChicago as well as from its affiliated labs—such as Fermilab, Argonne, and the Marine Biological Lab—are eligible to apply. Priority will be given to technologies or startups that have already:
- Customer Discovery: Conducted customer discovery and/or an assessment of market fit, ideally through the Polsky I-Corps program, for at least one potential application of the technology or invention.
- Target Application: Selected an initial application of focus, if a platform technology.
- Team Members: Recruited additional team members interested in supporting technology commercialization, such as research staff, PhD student, post doc, etc.
How to Apply:
The goal of the Compass accelerator is to select the most-promising startups and technologies and provide a comprehensive set of resources to get those companies launched and investor-ready in six months. To achieve this, the Polsky Center requires a pre-accelerator evaluation before acceptance into the program.
- Attend an Info Session: Join the Polsky Center for a virtual info session on Thursday, August 19 from 12:00-1:00 p.m. CT. Register online.
- Apply Online: Submit your online application by 5:00 p.m. CT on Tuesday, September 7. Apply online here.
- Startup Evaluation: The startup evaluation is conducted by the Polsky Center staff and supported by Polsky Science Innovation Fellows, who are Chicago Booth MBA students, scientists, and post-docs at the University of Chicago. This evaluation ensures that only the top startups and technologies, and the ones most likely to benefit from participation in the Compass, will be accepted. After your application has been received, the Polsky Center will notify you if you are offered an invitation to join the next cohort.