Make Your Future, Here

Entrepreneurs are at the heart of the inventions and industries that have had a tremendous impact on our everyday lives. However, the journey to societal impact is exceptionally challenging, isolating, and emotional. Author and entrepreneur Reid Hoffman once described the entrepreneurial journey as ‘jumping off a cliff and assembling an airplane on the way down.’ At the Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, we recognize how demanding the entrepreneurial journey can be. That’s why we have established a robust network of award-winning programs designed to provide access to mentorship, learning networks, financial resources, and emotional support for entrepreneurs in our UTD community.  

Many of these Comets are now making important strides in the wider community as businesspeople, startup founders, venture capital professionals, and patent owners. ‘Made at UTD’ is a showcase of their journeys and stories.


MEET THE ENTREPRENEURS

No two startup journeys are the same. We’ve picked five Comet founders, each one sharing the resources that have helped guide them along the way. Click on the entrepreneur below to learn more.



HOW YOU CAN GET STARTED

We hope these stories of entrepreneurs in action are inspiring you to take action of your own. No matter where you are on your startup journey we’ve curated our most popular programs to make your next step easy. View the programs below and learn more about how you can start today.


Learn

Programs for understanding the building blocks of venture creation.


CometX Accelerator

An experiential program that pulls student entrepreneurs into an environment that incubates ideas and engages prospective customers in preparation for the launch of a new business concept. Learn more

GalXc Accelerator

8-week program that provides entrepreneurial education, training, networking, and mentoring to a cohort of women. Learn more

Entrepreneurial Mindset Bootcamp

Virtual bootcamp to help undergraduate students learn an entrepreneurial approach to work and life. Learn more

Launch

You’ve gained traction and validated your idea. These programs are for fine-tuning.


Blackstone LaunchPad Fellowship

Self-driven, paid opportunity for tech ventures, that includes weekly skill-development workshops, goal setting, and peer and professional networking opportunities. Learn more 

Capital Factory Partnership Program

Free membership to Capital Factory for select university ventures. Learn more

Startup Launch

Get academic credit and launch your business at the same time. Learn more

Scale

Funding solutions for startups ready for new markets, team growth, and rapid acceleration.

Big Idea Competition

Hosted annually, it’s the largest pitch competition at the university. Learn more

LaunchPad Ideas Competition

Designed to provide students with early-stage ideas to compete for cash prizes. Learn more

UT Dallas Seed Fund

Invests in startups founded by the UTD community that are ready for commercial product development. Learn more

UT Design Startup Challenge

Partnership with UTDesign senior capstone course to help bring high-potential technology startups to life. Learn more

If you’re curious about getting started at UTD and continuing your startup story, we’d love to hear from you. Make a profile on StartupTree and reach out to a member of our team.