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Startup Yale Applications are LIVE! Think you’ve got the next big idea? Prove it. Apply now!

What is Startup Yale?

Startup Yale has been inspiring bold ideas and empowering students to turn innovation into impact for a decade! Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, this milestone event showcases the power of funding, mentorship, and networking, bringing together Yale and the Greater New Haven innovation community to amplify the impact of game-changing ventures and initiatives.

Highlights & Updates

Planetary Solutions Prize: Yale Students Innovate to Tackle Global Challenges Learn More

The Planetary Solutions Prize (formerly the Sustainable Venture Prize) is a collaboration between Yale’s Tsai Center for Innovative Thinking and the Center for Business and the Environment. It champions visionary, student-led initiatives designed to address pressing global challenges. By targeting critical issues like sustainable materials, food systems, and renewable energy, the program provides participants with…

Save the Date: Startup Yale 2025! Learn More

Mark your calendars for April 3-4, 2025, as we celebrate 10 years of innovation, entrepreneurship, and community at Startup Yale! Join us for two days filled with exciting events, inspiring speakers, and unparalleled opportunities to connect with entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders across industries. This milestone event will bring together changemakers from Yale and beyond…

Celebrating Creative Innovation at Startup Yale 2024 Learn More

Infused with the innovative spirit of Hotel Marcel, Startup Yale 2024 celebrated the impressive achievements of the greater Yale innovation ecosystem over two days of exclusive industry insights and relationship building. From live pitch-offs for cash prizes to interactive learning sessions, students and professionals came together to spark connections and watch new ideas take flight against…

Startup Yale: Where Are They Now? Learn More

Catching Up with Past Winners of Women-led Ventures for Women’s History Month Since Startup Yale launched in 2015, the annual entrepreneurship event has provided funding to groundbreaking ventures across industries. Startup Yale returns April 4-5, 2024, with an expanded agenda designed to build community and inspire networking. In addition to the pitch competitions, it will…

Startup Yale Keynote Fireside Chat Learn More

Startup Yale 2024, happening on April 4-5th, is thrilled to announce that the “Gen Z Historian,” Kahlil Green ‘22, a 2x Emmy-nominated and digital educator featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Forbes Magazine, along with Nathan Barry, creator, author, speaker, designer, and founder of ConvertKit, an email marketing tool designed for…

SY24 Finalists Revealed Learn More

We’re super excited to let you know that we’ve picked the finalists for Startup Yale 2024! We went through more than 100 submissions, and after a lot of thought and consideration, we’ve chosen the following amazing venture candidates: The Startup Yale 2024 Finalists Manolo Sanchez Prize, $25,000 Guideli: an AI powered solution that streamlines the…

Startup Yale Application is Open! Learn More

Calling all aspiring entrepreneurs and innovative minds! We are excited to announce that the application for Startup Yale 2024 is now open. This is your chance to showcase your startup idea and join a dynamic community of like-minded individuals. Startup Yale is an opportunity for you to turn your entrepreneurial dreams into reality. Whether you…

Startup Yale Mentorship Application Opens Learn More

We’re thrilled to open the Startup Yale 2024 Mentorship Program. This is a great chance to be part of a mentorship experience dedicated to nurturing innovative ideas into impactful ventures. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to accelerate your startup journey by connecting with an expert who can assist you in preparing to apply to…

Startup Yale 2024 Orientation Learn More

​Ready to elevate your venture? With over $150K in prizes, this is your chance. Get started early; mentorship applications open on January 16th, 2024. Main prize applications open on February 1st, 2024. Positivity, growth, and opportunity await. Let’s dream big together! Register Today.

Startup Yale 2023: A Celebration of Entrepreneurship Learn More

Last week, Startup Yale celebrated the incredible entrepreneurship and innovation of the Yale and New Haven community for the seventh year in a row. Beginning on March 30th, student and community ventures pitched their projects to panels of experts and were awarded some of Yale’s biggest entrepreneurship awards. Over the two days, 31 teams shared…

The Innovative Spirit Honored at Startup Yale 2022 Learn More

For the third year, Startup Yale honored the innovative spirit of those in the Yale and Greater New Haven community. Kicking off on April 28th, the university’s biggest entrepreneurship awards were presented over three days of pitches and celebrations. After applying in March, 28 teams of both for-profit and nonprofit ventures shared their work in…

Graduate students develop system to reduce fine-only incarceration Learn More

Startup Yale 2023 Manolo Sanchez Prize winner, The Fines and Fees Freedom Fund, founded by Alejandra Uria (Law ’23), Liam Grace- Flood (SOM ’22), and Caela Murphy (SOM ’23), was featured in the Yale Daily News for their work to reduce incarceration due to unpaid fines. Read the original story on here on Yale Daily…

Introducing the Manolo Sanchez Prize Learn More

Yale innovators join community leaders, investors, and practitioners to reimagine the future through exciting, creative ventures. Recently added to the list of Startup Yale prizes was the Manolo Sanchez Prize, which will grant $25,000 to a student-led for-profit or non-profit startup that aims to improve the financial health of underserved communities. We sat down with…

Yale Innovators Celebrated at Startup Yale 2021 Learn More

Startup Yale 2021 took place from April 29 through May 1, bringing together eight events and hundreds of virtual attendees in a series of conversations and pitch-offs. For the second year, Startup Yale took place entirely on Zoom, with students from across Yale pitching for the campus’ biggest entrepreneurship awards in front of a live…

The Black Venture Summit Prize Learn More

Tsai CITY, CTNext, and Yale School of Management’s Black Business Alliance (BBA) have joined forces to establish the first Yale Black Venture Summit Prize at Startup Yale as an effort to increase venture funding for Black founders. Early-stage companies whose founders are based in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, or New York, identify as Black, or…

Celebrating Black Entrepreneurs and Providing Resources to Advance Their Ventures Learn More

On March 31st, Tsai CITY hosted its annual Startup Yale entrepreneurship competition in collaboration with other university innovation centers. This year, we were pleased to add the first-ever Black Venture Summit Prize, an effort to increase venture funding for Black founders in the region. Tsai CITY partnered with CTNext, a Hartford-based organization that empowers communities…

Startup Yale Stories: Markea Dickinson & Betty Tang Learn More

Startup Yale 2020 finalists Markea Dickinson, co-founder of Thermaband and Betty Tang, co-founder of Upright, reflect on their journeys. They discuss where their ideas first came from, how they’ve connected with Yale resources, and what they’ve learned while growing their startups in a challenging year. In memory of Markea Dickinson (1992-2023).

Marina Marmolejo

Startup Yale Stories: Marina Marmolejo Learn More

In this video, Startup Yale 2020 finalist Marina Marmolejo, founder of DreamKit, reflects on her journey. She talks about how DreamKit works, launching an app as a non-technical founder, the impact of Startup Yale, and advice for student entrepreneurs as they build their ventures beyond campus.

Become a Sponsor

Join a legacy of impact and innovation by becoming a Startup Yale sponsor! Startup Yale is Yale’s largest student entrepreneurship event for showcasing and supporting trailblazing ideas and transformative ventures created by Yale’s talented community. As we approach our 10-year anniversary, your sponsorship will empower the next generation of innovators and strengthen Yale’s entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem.

Why Sponsor Startup Yale?

Sponsorship offers a unique opportunity to:

  • Gain Visibility: Showcase your brand to Yale’s brightest minds, as well as industry leaders, venture capitalists, and potential collaborators.
  • Build Community Connections: Engage with Yale students, faculty, and alumni to build meaningful connections and collaborations within the entrepreneurial space.
  • Support Innovation: Your support fuels aspiring entrepreneurs and changemakers, helping them turn visionary ideas into impactful ventures.

Custom Sponsorship Opportunities

Whether you’re a small business or a major organization, we offer a personalized sponsorship experience. We’re happy to create customized packages that align with your goals and engagement preferences. Whether it’s branded networking opportunities or featured logo placement and recognition on Startup Yale’s marketing channels, we’ll work with you to find the best fit for your organization.

How to Become a Sponsor

Ready to support the future of innovation? Fill out our form to start the conversation.

Join us in shaping the future—one groundbreaking idea at a time.

Partners

Happening April 3-4, 2024 at Hotel Marcel