Build and Launch Summer Accelerators

The Build and Launch Accelerators are getting even better.

For 2026, the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation is increasing direct support to founders in two major ways:

• $10,000 SAFE investment for every selected team

• $5,000 stipend for each eligible founder (see Eligibility tab)

And for the first time, founders will travel to San Francisco for a 2-night, 3-day field experience, meeting with University of Chicago alumni and immersing themselves in the West Coast startup community.

More funding. More access. More momentum.

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, while the Launch accelerator focuses on fundraising, selling, and gaining and maintaining momentum.