What StartUP FIU does

StartUP FIU is an initiative developing innovation and entrepreneurship to leverage the Fourth Industrial Revolution for FIU and the Miami community.

Name

StartUP FIU

Legal name

StartUP FIU (Florida International University)

Website

http://startup.fiu.edu/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

StartUP FIU is a university-wide initiative developing innovation and entrepreneurship that pursues opportunities in the FIU and Miami.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Innovation & Entrepreneurship Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC), Technical Universities with Strong Industry Partnerships (EDAHAEAG), Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

Keywords

• University innovation programs
• Entrepreneurship support services
• Startup incubator programs
• Research commercialization services
• Innovation training workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Grants and Federal Funding: StartUP FIU operates primarily through grants and federal funding, including EDA grants ($19.5M for Risk + Resilience Tech Hub, $10.3M for Infrastructure Technologies pillar) and innovation grants to support faculty research commercialization.
2. Program Fees and Services: Training programs, workshops, and innovation services provided to faculty, researchers, and community entrepreneurs. The Innovation Center (launching 2026) will provide testing services, equipment rental support, and technical assistance to infrastructure companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

StartUP FIU is Florida International University's university-wide initiative providing programs and services that translate academic research into commercial markets. It operates an innovation hub offering accelerator programs (Empower Accelerator), industry-specific incubators (StartUP FIU FOOD), commercialization support including NSF I-Corps and SBIR/STTR guidance, customized trainings and workshops, mentorship, and access to specialized research facilities including the Wall of Wind hurricane simulator and patented Ultra-High-Performance Concrete (UHPC) technology through the EDA-designated Risk + Resilience Tech Hub.

Product overview

StartUP FIU is a university-wide initiative at Florida International University serving as the core platform for fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. The organization operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture consisting of the core StartUP FIU initiative, the Risk + Resilience Tech Hub (RRTH) as a specialized sub-brand focused on resilient infrastructure, StartUP FIU FOOD as a sector-specific incubator, and the Empower Accelerator and Social Venture Studio as programs. Supporting infrastructure includes the Wall of Wind testing facility, the upcoming Innovation Center (2026), IBT/ABC-UTC research center, and the SRI Seminar Series. Since 2016, the initiative has supported 350+ startups, attracted $28M+ in grants, and created 800+ jobs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Risk + Resilience Tech Hub: A tech hub focused on accelerating the adoption of innovative infrastructure technologies that strengthen long-term performance and resiliency in South Florida.
• StartUP FIU FOOD
• Empower Accelerator
• Social Venture Studio

Products and services

• StartUP FIU (Core Initiative) University-wide initiative at Florida International University fostering innovation and economic impact locally, nationally, and globally by supporting faculty, researchers, and partners in translating university-based research into the market.
• Risk + Resilience Tech Hub (RRTH) EDA-designated Tech Hub focused on growing South Florida's resilient infrastructure by investing in innovative technologies and products for sustainable and resilient infrastructure solutions.
• StartUP FIU FOOD Food business incubator program supporting pathway to recipe development, entrepreneurship, and product creation in Broward County and Miami communities.
• Empower Accelerator 14-week accelerator program supporting entrepreneurs with mentorship, resources, and pitch opportunities for early-stage startups.
• Social Venture Studio Program affiliated with StartUP FIU that helps supplement student ideas for social entrepreneurship competitions like Hult Prize.
• Innovation Services Support services for exploring the innovation process, translating ideas, and applying for federal innovation grants at every step of the journey.
• Trainings & Workshops Customized trainings and workshops providing opportunities to learn about the latest topics in technology and innovation and how to apply entrepreneurial skills to research.
• NSF I-Corps Program National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program helping researchers validate commercial potential of innovations through customer discovery.
• Wall of Wind (WOW) Testing Facility World-class hurricane simulator capable of generating Category 5 winds (157 mph) for testing construction materials, coastal infrastructure, building envelope components, and renewable energy systems.
• Innovative Bridge Technologies / Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (IBT/ABC-UTC) University transportation center with patented application of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) for bridge and building construction and retrofitting, including a Portable UHPC Deployment System.
• Sustainable Resilient Infrastructure (SRI) Seminar Series Education seminar series covering sustainable and resilient infrastructure topics with industry and academic experts.

Quantifiable outcome

• CoolCrete can cool surfaces 10°C or more
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Titan AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Titan America, a global cement manufacturer and member of Titan Cement Group, is a key partner in the Risk + Resilience Tech Hub. Committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, Titan provides R&D lab, Innovation Hub in Wynwood, and scale-up capabilities in South Florida. Collaborating on ternary blended cement that reduces emissions by 40%.
• University of Miami (UM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Academic partner in the Risk + Resilience Tech Hub providing research expertise, testing facilities including ACCESS Lab (Advanced Cement Chemistry, Engineering, Sustainability, and Science) and CICI (Center for Integration of Composites into Infrastructure). UM College of Engineering has six faculty working with cement-based materials.
• Innovative Bridge Technologies/ABC-UTCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024IBT/ABC-UTC at FIU has developed patented ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) technology and Portable UHPC Deployment System for demonstration projects. Key technology partner for resilient bridge and building infrastructure.
• Wall of Wind (WoW)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024FIU's Wall of Wind is the largest, most powerful university research facility capable of simulating Category 5 hurricanes with 157 mph+ winds. Provides testing capabilities for construction materials, building components, and infrastructure resilience for companies in the Tech Hub ecosystem.
• 1PrintminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 20243D concrete printing company focused on resilient infrastructure with eco-friendly, durable solutions. Developing hybrid coastal defense technology (SEAHIVE) for wave mitigation. Collaborating through the Risk + Resilience Tech Hub ecosystem.
• Miami Tech WorksminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Regional workforce development initiative that StartUP FIU collaborates with to develop a pipeline of skilled workers in climate-focused and resilient infrastructure industries.
• Miami-Dade CountyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2024Partner in the South Florida Risk + Resilience Tech Hub, working on Climate-Ready initiatives and ensuring equitable access to innovative infrastructure solutions for South Floridians.
• Carbon LimitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Carbon Limit, founded in 2021, is a Climate Tech company that innovates and commercializes concrete solutions for a sustainable built environment. Products include CaptureCrete (carbon-absorbing cement replacement) and CoolCrete (heat-reflecting concrete). Partnering with FIU and UM for research validation and testing.
• Hult Prize FoundationminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2016StartUP FIU has proudly hosted the Hult Prize since 2016, the world's largest social entrepreneurship competition. Competition offers $1 million to winning teams and has mobilized over a million students globally.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stanford StartX: Stanford-affiliated startup accelerator supporting founders from the Stanford community. Directly comparable to StartUP FIU as a university-based accelerator that leverages faculty research, university resources, and student entrepreneurs to launch ventures, with both programs providing mentorship, demo days, and founder support.
• MIT delta v: MIT's summer accelerator for student-led startups, operating inside the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. Comparable to StartUP FIU's Empower Accelerator in providing university-affiliated founders with intensive mentorship, demo days, and connections to MIT's research ecosystem.
• UC Berkeley SkyDeck: UC Berkeley's flagship accelerator supporting startups from the Berkeley community. Directly comparable as a university-based accelerator combining faculty research commercialization, industry partnerships, and venture capital connections, with a similar hybrid model of grants and accelerator programming.
• Georgia Tech ATDC: Georgia Tech's Advanced Technology Development Center, a university-based technology incubator. Comparable to StartUP FIU as a long-running university-affiliated incubator focused on commercializing faculty research and supporting Southeast-based technology startups.
• Princeton Keller Center: Princeton's hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, supporting student and faculty ventures through coursework, competitions, and accelerator-style programs. Comparable to StartUP FIU's university-wide scope of programs, NSF I-Corps participation, and pitch competition hosting (e.g., Hult Prize).

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: One of the largest global accelerator networks with hundreds of programs worldwide. Comparable to StartUP FIU's Empower Accelerator in providing structured 13-14 week cohorts, mentorship, and demo days, though Techstars operates as a standalone private accelerator rather than embedded in a university.
• Y Combinator: The largest startup accelerator globally, offering seed funding, mentorship, and demo days. While not university-affiliated, Y Combinator is the benchmark accelerator model that StartUP FIU's Empower Accelerator and Social Venture Studio compete with for top-tier founder mindshare.

Regional players

• Innovation Works: The largest startup accelerator in Pittsburgh, also founded out of Carnegie Mellon University. Comparable to StartUP FIU as a university-rooted regional ecosystem builder supporting early-stage companies with seed funding, programming, and connections.

Emerging players

• Venture For America: Nonprofit fellowship placing emerging leaders in early-stage companies in U.S. cities. Comparable to StartUP FIU's workforce and entrepreneurship programs including the Citi Foundation-funded Youth Entrepreneurship initiative, which similarly focuses on matching young talent with startup opportunities.

Others

• Hult Prize Foundation: Global social entrepreneurship competition offering $1M to winning student teams. Long-standing partner of StartUP FIU (which has hosted Hult Prize since 2016), Hult Prize is a comparable force in mobilizing university student entrepreneurs globally and validates the ecosystem channel StartUP FIU operates within.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StartUPFIU
• Facebookfacebook.com/StartUPFIU
• Instagraminstagram.com/StartUPFIU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/florida-international-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about StartUP FIU