The National Science Foundation designated UC San Diego as one of the four original universities to pilot their "innovation Corps" concept in 2011.  The resulting NSF I-Corps™ program was established to educate and train technical founders in lean startup principles, including value-based development and customer validation.  

IGE has enhanced and expanded on the core curriculum, creating a rigorous introductory workshop series as foundational first steps in a Path-to-Market journey. This program will guide you through the process of product development, market validation, and business modeling.

Ready to Start Your Entrepreneurial Journey?

IGE runs the NSF I-Corps program 3 times a year.

Experienced Industry Mentors

The program is based on real-world, hands-on, immersive learning in concert with mentoring from experienced industry entrepreneurs.  It includes interviewing customers and understanding their needs and problems to develop a strong product/market fit. In each session, participants engage with mentors and other teams to share what they learn from their customer discovery efforts - as constructive feedback to further their development.

Funding Opportunities

Admitted teams are eligible for up to a $3000 stipend to continue their market validation.

 

 

I-Corps Bulb

 Objectives of the Program:

  •  Learn the basics of lean startup entrepreneurship

  •  Effectively communicate the value of your idea

  •  Validate market potential through customer discovery

  •  Gateway to other acceleration programs such as NSF I-Corps™ Nationals Teams Program

 

 

 

NSF i-corps logo

 

NSF I-Corps
National I-Corps

Once you complete the local I-Corps course, you are eligible to apply to National I-Corps where you can earn a grant of up to $50,000. 

More Info

Eligibility Requirements

Attend four mandatory classes and complete homework assignments. Interface with your mentor between classes.
Originate from student work, research (funded or unfunded), institutional, or industrial projects.
All UC San Diego students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and recent alumni are eligible to apply. It is required that participants apply to this program as a team of at least two people.

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