Drexel Startups Fund is a twice-yearly pitch competition that supports student startup ideas. Generous donations from Drexel alums and Yope, a non-profit organization supporting student entrepreneurs nationwide, provide funding for the program.

The competition is run by the Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship and supported through its Baiada Institute for Entrepreneurship team. The competition provides non-dilutive grants, mentoring, investor introductions, and incubation services to students for their startup ventures, with a preference for (though not exclusively for) promising senior, graduate, or post-graduate students.

The competition has several stages:

• Application (including a required pitch video)
• Application review and selection of applicants for due diligence
• Due diligence (see below)
• Selection Committee presentation
• Awards announcement

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

A Drexel student must be the founder or co-founder of the venture as designated by the criteria here. Read all rules and eligibility on that page before applying.

You can find the competition application here

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. 

Due Diligence Participation Requirement

Only four to six applicants will move forward in the competition, and those selected will be required to participate in the Close School’s Due Diligence class. During the quarter, student teams will analyze the applicants seeking funding and will provide recommendations on funding suitability to the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee will also hear pitches from the applicants seeking funding and then decide on funding awards.

Students in the class who sign non-disclosure and confidentiality agreements will have access to applicant information as provided by the applicant (and made available in a secure data room). The type of information to be provided by the applicant can include business plans, financial projections, marketing plans, legal agreements, and other pertinent information about your startup. You will also be expected to meet with your assigned student team to answer questions from them as they perform their due diligence work and prepare their presentation to the Select Committee.

Awards

Up to fifty thousand ($50,000) 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. 

Spring 2025 Schedule

Schedule Details:

• Friday, February 28th 11:59p ET: Applications due
• March 14th: Announcement of selections for due diligence
• March 31-June 4: Due diligence
• Late May or early June: Presentations to the Selection Committee
• Awards announcement: Mid to late June
• Funding awards disbursed: Summer