The Start Me Up Bootcamp is a virtual program designed to build your startup. The bootcamp introduces participants to the Lean Launchpad methodology and techniques to direct customer discovery through field interviews. Teams conduct at least 20 customer interviews; attend online sessions and engage with other bootcamp teams and entrepreneurs.
Teams “get out of the building” to learn from potential customers to determine if they are solving a real-world problem with a sizeable market opportunity. Upon completion, eligible teams may apply for a $50,000 NSF I-Corps grant to continue customer discovery. Additional funding is available to support conference travel for commercialization. In addition to providing entrepreneurial training, the program enables students and researchers to identify new ways to apply research to solve problems across several fields.