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Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) I-Corps Program

Description

The Penn Center for Innovation (PCI) I-Corps Program helps Penn faculty, staff, postdoctoral trainees, and students test and validate startup ideas through customer discovery.

Supported through the National Science Foundation I-Corps model, the program helps participants better understand the potential value of a technology, identify possible customers or partners, and explore pathways for bringing innovations to market.

Program Components

Participants may gain experience with:

  • customer discovery;
  • evaluating who may benefit from a technology and why;
  • exploring pathways to bring new technology to market;
  • preparing for follow-on entrepreneurship programs;
  • strengthening applications for SBIR/STTR funding;
  • connecting with mentors, stakeholders, funders, and the Philadelphia startup ecosystem.

Qualifying teams may be recommended to apply for the National I-Corps Program, which provides additional support for customer discovery.

Eligibility

The program is open to Penn-affiliated faculty, staff, postdoctoral trainees, and students.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Once accepted, participants may choose which cohort to join, subject to availability. If a cohort is full, participants may be queued for a future cohort.

For current cohort information, application instructions, eligibility, and program contacts, visit the Penn Center for Innovation I-Corps Program.

Visit PCI I-Corps Program