Entrepreneurship opportunities
Subscribe to updatesEntrepreneurship competitions, grants, fellowships, calls for papers, conferences and workshops for undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs and early-career researchers. Every entry links to the official announcement — use “Team up” to find collaborators for it.
- Community submitted · Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship / Rice University94 days left
Competition · Rice Business Plan Competition 2027
Major collegiate startup pitch competition where student-founded companies pitch investors for more than $1M in cash, investment and prizes. Award: More than $1,000,000 in cash, investment and prizes.
Eligible for: Master's student / PhD student / Undergraduate / Independent researcher / Industry
- Community submitted · Microsoft
Competition · 2027 Microsoft Imagine Cup
Global student startup competition with Microsoft AI resources, mentorship and startup prizes. Award: $100,000 Scale World Champion; $50,000 Launch prize.
Eligible for: Undergraduate / Master's student / PhD student
- Community submitted · Entrepreneur First
Grant · Entrepreneur First (co-founder matching)
Program for talented individuals to find co-founders and build a company from scratch, with funding and structured support.
Eligible for: Independent researcher / Industry / Postdoc / Faculty
- Community submitted · National Science Foundation
Grant · NSF I-Corps National Teams
Commercialization training and customer discovery for research technologies; eligible teams can receive up to $50,000. Award: Up to $50,000.
Eligible for: Master's student / PhD student / Postdoc / Faculty / Independent researcher / Industry
- Community submitted · Y Combinator
Grant · Y Combinator Accelerator
Startup accelerator providing funding, mentorship and a founder network; accepts technical and scientific founders, including solo applicants looking for co-founders.
Eligible for: Independent researcher / Industry