The Drexel Startups Funds program has been established through generous donations from Drexel alums. 

This competition program, which is run by the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship and supported through its Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship team, provides support to students for their startup ventures, with preference going to promising senior, graduate or post-graduate students. 

Fund awardees will have access to mentorship, incubator space and introductions to angel and venture capital funding from the university’s alumni network.

General Drexel entrepreneurship competition rules are at Baiada Rules Page and the program-specific rules and information are below. 

Eligibility

Applicants to the program can be from any major and include undergraduate seniors, graduate students, and post-graduate. We define post-graduate as someone having graduated within one year of the program application deadline.

How to participate

Teams must register a team leader, list team members and enter all details about their startup through the competition website at https://baiada.startuptree.co/event/s/7JGWtKxCzdEEpeGjQ5HjAm/Drexel-Startups-Fund---Fall-2023 

Selection committee 

A Selection Committee comprised of Drexel faculty/staff and Drexel alums will meet to review applications and select the awardees. The Committee will recommend the awardees chosen for funding with the final selection made and confirmed by the Office of the Dean at the Close School. 

Specific selection criteria will be provided to the competitors. 

Awards

Up to twenty-five thousand ($25,000) may be awarded in this cycle to one or more competitors. Award amounts may vary depending on the decision of the Committee, and the Committee can also decide to not award any amount in any given selection cycle. 

Awarded competitors will also have access to mentorship, incubator space in the Baiada Institute and introductions to angel and venture capital funding from the university’s alumni network. 

Awards will be considered “prizes” as is typically done for programs such as entrepreneurship competitions and the awards will not have any equity ownership or debt implications. Awardees will receive funding following similar procedures for such awards and will be responsible for taxes on those awards. 

Fall 2023 Schedule

The competition features a two-round format, with all qualified applicants pitching in the first round, followed by a final round of pitches for those applicants selected to move on by the selection committee.

• Sep 1 - Oct 22 - Applications open
• Nov 2 - First round presentations live during Startup Fest
• Nov 3 - Final round presenters announcement
• Nov 3-28 - Mentoring opportunities for the finalist presenters
• Nov 29 - Final round presentations online