Accelerate your Innovation with I-Corps Boost!

I-Corps Boost is a free program that can accelerate your innovation’s journey to market! This intensive program will help you position your innovation for the next step, including qualifying for future funding, including SBIR/STTR, accelerators, incubators, industry partnerships, equity investment, and more!

I-Corps Boost is a modular program that can guide you through essential milestones, wherever you are on your innovation journey. The program is well-suited for those seeking licensing or industry partnerships, or those planning to launch their own startup.

Benefits of the Program

• Accelerate Commercialization – Move your project forward from early customer discovery to actionable next steps.
• Mentorship and Guidance – Receive hands-on support from experienced instructors to help refine your business model and go-to-market strategy.
• Increased Funding Readiness – Develop a compelling pitch and executive summary, enhancing your team’s readiness for grants, investors, and partnerships.

Eligibility

Boost is for you if….

• At least one member of your team has successfully completed an I-Corps-style customer discovery program (at least 20 interviews) for the same innovation that you will be exploring in this program.
• Your team has been nominated by a Great Lakes I-Corps Hub partner institution.
• Your team fits into one of the following categories:
  • Academic teams
    • Your innovation has emerged from university research and has been disclosed to your institution.
    • Your team is composed of 1-2 Entrepreneurial Leads (generally a graduate student or postdoc) and 1-2 Technical Leads (generally a graduate student, postdoc, research scientist, or faculty member).  We also strongly encourage including an Industry Mentor (someone with industry and/or commercialization expertise).
  • Community teams
    • You have a research-based technology and plan to seek a commercialization grant via SBIR/STTR, an NSF Engine, NSF TTP, or a similar commercialization or economic development funder.
    • Your team is composed of at least two people associated with your innovation and/or company who can play the Entrepreneurial Lead and Technical Lead roles.  We also strongly encourage including an Industry Mentor.
• The entrepreneurial and technical leads have the time and capacity to fully participate in the six-session program including bi-weekly class attendance, assignment completion, customer interviews, and instructor office hours (≅ 10-15 hours/team member for each two-week module).
• Your team is highly motivated to advance your innovation beyond the lab via a startup, industry-sponsored research, or licensing to an existing company.  

• • Fall 2026
    • 10/9, 10/23, 11/6, 11/20, 12/4, 12/18
    • Class sessions 12pm ET – 2pm ET (11am CT – 1pm CT)
    • Registration is open for the fall cohort.

Registration for the Fall Cohort is open!

Registration Deadline: September 14

• Free, Virtual Cohort
• October 9 – December 18, 2026
• Class sessions on Fridays, at 12pm ET