Through the structure of contests, Penn provides faculty, students and staff with various opportunities to transform their ideas into businesses in a competitive yet supportive environment. UPstart and UPadvisors partner with the following contests to provide company formation and continued incubation for the winning ideas.
AppItUP is a mobile application design contest that gathers the best app ideas across the University and helps make them a reality by connecting the inventors with local venture capital firms and professional software developers. At the end of the competition, five finalists will have a fully formed company, a manager to run it, a functioning prototype, and the opportunity to present to our VC partners. AppItUP is run annually; the submission period begins at the start of the Fall semester.
DevelUPmed Challenge is a new medical device development resource available to the Penn community. DevelUPmed identifies medical device and diagnostic technologies with commercial potential and accelerates them from idea to prototype stage and beyond through a startup company mechanism. The best ideas as judged by outside business experts and investors will be turned into companies, founded by the inventor team and Penn. The new entities will be partnered with university resources, an entrepreneur, industry developers, and the regional investment community to support business operations, the raising of capital, and prototype development towards full commercialization and patient benefit.
Penn and the Milken Family Foundation have come together to be a joint catalyst for innovation in education, to help “create a space” for education entrepreneurs. This is the first business plan competition to focus exclusively on educational ventures. Business plans are awarded in a wide variety of categories, including Innovation in Online Education; Open Educational Resources; Borderless (International) Education; and Special Education and At-Risk Students.
