Many colleges and universities are working hard to enhance the experiential learning they offer to students. One way they’re doing that today is by offering startup incubators and accelerators that, among other things, help to foster a culture of entrepreneurship among students, according to Everest Business Funding.
Institutions of higher learning embrace the idea that students need to get real-world experience to succeed in today’s competitive work environment. And with entrepreneurship being an avenue that more and more students today are interested in pursuing, there’s no better way to foster that culture than a college-affiliated incubator.
Below, we’ll dive further into the role of these incubators and how they’re preparing the next generation for what’s ahead.
What’s a College-Affiliated Startup Incubator?
Business incubators abound throughout the country, but mainly in major cities and forward-thinking tech regions. Yet, most of these incubators are focused solely on entrepreneurs already out in the “real world.”
College-affiliated startup incubators are located on the campus of colleges and universities and are tailored to teach students in new ways and connect them to powerful resources. For instance, incubators could connect their students to other startups, people who are successful in the community, and even potential investors.
The incubator is a separate space from other campus facilities, such as libraries and classrooms. They might include maker spaces, labs, and conference rooms, as well as even cafes, mentoring staff, and concierge services.
What’s the Focus?
The focus of college-affiliated startup incubators isn’t just to provide connections and resources for students but to foster creativity and innovation. Research is a major part of any successful startup, and academic institutions have historically been a major part of research efforts.
Nowadays, though, they’re taking that research focus and bringing it to their own students, hoping to spark innovative minds to create impressive new offerings that benefit the world. It’s certainly different than the traditional approach to higher education, but it’s focused on developing students into people who will help to provide broad economic and societal benefits.
Success Stories
According to Everest Business Funding, there are many success stories of college-affiliated startup incubators.
Harvard offers current students a 12-week Venture Incubation Program, during which they’re provided with resources and mentoring. Some successful startups to come out of the VIP program include Evisort, an AI-based service for legal documents; STEMgem, a company that produces wearable smart devices for grade school students; and LeverEdge, a company that helps to negotiate better student loan rates.
At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Delta V program helps student entrepreneurs build sustainable and viable businesses.
Startups that have emerged from the Delta V program at MIT include Embr Labs, a company producing wearable cooling and heating tech; Synaps, an outdoor digital ad company; and W8X, a robotics-based strength training program for people at their homes.
These are just a few of the many examples of success stories that have come out of college-affiliated startup incubators, with many more likely to come as more institutions of higher learning jump on board.
About Everest Business Funding
Everest Business Funding provides alternative finance options and revenue-based funding to small business owners. They serve a diverse pool of businesses, from healthcare to retail, to help them obtain working capital to grow, buy inventory, launch marketing campaigns, or hire staff. Everest Business Funding’s clients are treated with respect and receive high-quality guidance and service from its professionals.