Description
We give USC’s top student, alumni and faculty/staff entrepreneurs the resources and guidance to do more faster. The Incubator, supported by the
Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at USC’s Marshall School takes founders from feasibility and development work, on to customers, a tested business model, getting distribution, building a team, bootstrapping and investment preparation. We also provide access to other supporting resources, such as legal and financial assistance.
We have worked with 120 companies so far. Participating companies have been acquired, raised money, run successful Kickstarter campaigns, received NSF grants and of course, shipped product to customers. We’ve also had winners in recent USC competitions including the New Seed Venture Competition, Stevens Student Innovator Showcase, Silicon Beach, the Min Family Challenge, and the Maseeh Prize.
What we look for in Incubator companies.
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Coachability: Is your team open to take outside advice and potentially change direction?
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Capability to Build: Entering Incubatees should have most of the ability to build what their business requires, with small exceptions that fall outside the core of the business.
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Commitment and Drive: Is your team creative, resourceful, and patient, particularly when you hit bumps in the road?
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Engagement: Will your team be an active, interested part of our Incubator community, taking advantage of our events and resources, and helping out others?
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Readiness: This program is for teams already at prototype stage. Even better if you have customers. (Do not apply if you are at concept stage.)
The Summer 2020 program will be run virtually! That means that for the first time we are open to founders based outside of the Los Angeles area.
Eligibility
Companies that apply must include a founder who is affiliated with USC (students, alumni, faculty, and staff). Do not apply if you do not have at least one founder who is affiliated with USC in one or more of those ways.
The program is for companies at least at prototype stage. Even better if you have customers. Do not apply if you are at idea stage.
