UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN I-CORPS
Illinois I-Corps is hosted by the Technology Entrepreneur Center, in the Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The I-Corps curriculum is built on a special, accelerated version of Stanford University’s Lean LaunchPad course, created by Professor Steve Blank. Professors in the course focus on evidence-based entrepreneurship and encourage in-depth customer discovery. Throughout the program, attendees will learn to use the Business Model Canvas, Agile Development, and Customer Development to advance their business ideas.
Benefits of the Program
- Develop best practices for conducting customer discovery and identifying key stakeholders.
- Learn, practice, and hone your innovation skills.
- Improve the odds for commercial success.
- Understand market trends and needs in your ecosystem.
- Expand your network of like-minded peers, instructors, investors, customers, and mentors.
- Obtain eligibility to apply for $50,000 grant from the National NSF I-CorpsTM team grant (for deep tech, university-affiliated teams)
- Prepare for applying to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) or Small Business Technology Transfer programs.
2026 Cohorts
- Fall 2026
- 9/14, 9/21, 10/5, 10/19, 11/2
- Tuesday, September 8, 2026 1-3pm CT, Virtual Orientation
- Class sessions 1pm – 3pm CT
- Registration is open for the fall cohort.
Registration for the Fall Cohort is open!
Registration Deadline: August 31
- Free cohort
- In-person attendance is required. Location: Landuyt Center for Entrepreneurship Outpost (CIF 1038), Champaign, IL
- September 14 – November 2, 2026
- Class sessions on Monday, at 1 CT
