IEEE Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship Support Servicesentrepreneurship.ieee.org

IEEE Entrepreneurship is a global non-profit program portfolio within IEEE that supports technology entrepreneurs through Venture Summits (Hard Tech and Quantum Tech), free ENT Workshops, an annual Impact Award, and Local Groups, leveraging IEEE's 500,000+ member network across 190+ countries.

Company typePrivate
Founded2015
HeadquartersPiscataway, United States
Headcount501–1,000
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What IEEE Entrepreneurship does

IEEE Entrepreneurship is a global non-profit program portfolio within the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), operational since 2015 and headquartered in Piscataway, New Jersey. It supports technology entrepreneurs at every stage, from ideation through Series A, by providing networking, skill-building, resource access, and visibility across IEEE's network of 500,000+ engineering and technology professionals in 190+ countries. Its core product portfolio includes the Venture Summits Program (Hard Tech and Quantum Tech summits connecting founders with pre-seed to Series A investors), the ENT Workshops Program (ENT 101 Foundations, ENT 102 Advanced Topics, and Train-the-Trainer), the IEEE Entrepreneurship Impact Award ($10,000 annual recognition), the Mentor Pipeline Program, and an upcoming digital Toolkit (2026 pilot).

The program is delivered through application-driven in-person events, free workshops in underdeveloped innovation ecosystems, Section-based Local Groups, and a 320-strong R10 Ambassador Program that produced 65 events and 6,000+ participants in its first year. Strategic partners include SRI International (Silicon Valley venue), IEEE MTT-S (Boston co-location with IMS), Syracuse University Invent@SU, Afretec Universities (Mastercard $20M-funded African consortium), and regional IEEE sections across Argentina, Ecuador, Tunisia, Ohio, and other geographies.

The business model is non-commercial: IEEE Entrepreneurship is funded through IEEE membership dues and organizational resources with no fee to join the community; revenue mechanics consist of tiered Venture Summit registration fees ($465-$695), corporate sponsorships, and a $500 Local Group seed-grant fund. Its value proposition derives from IEEE's community ecosystem and distribution advantage, with hard-tech and deep-tech founders representing the primary customer segment and investors, mentors, and emerging-ecosystem founders as secondary audiences.

IEEE Entrepreneurship firmographics

Firmographics

Name: IEEE Entrepreneurship
Legal name: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
Website: https://entrepreneurship.ieee.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2015
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 501–1,000 employees
Short description: IEEE Entrepreneurship is a global non-profit program portfolio within IEEE that supports technology entrepreneurs through Venture Summits (Hard Tech and Quantum Tech), free ENT Workshops, an annual Impact Award, and Local Groups, leveraging IEEE's 500,000+ member network across 190+ countries.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

IEEE Entrepreneurship industry classification

Industry

Product category: Entrepreneurship Support Services
NAICS: Technical and Trade Schools (6115)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
akta.pro primary industry: Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
akta.pro secondary industries: Social Entrepreneurship & Impact Business (EDAMAHAK), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Entrepreneurship & Small Business Workforce Programs (EDAAAOAM)

Keywords

Entrepreneurship support programs
Venture summit events
Innovation ecosystem development
Technology entrepreneur community
Startup investor matching

Where IEEE Entrepreneurship is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Piscataway
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

IEEE Entrepreneurship business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

IEEE Membership Dues: As a strategic program within IEEE, IEEE Entrepreneurship is funded through IEEE's membership dues and organizational resources. No fee to join the IEEE Entrepreneurship Community.
Venture Summit Registration Fees: Revenue from Venture Summit event registrations with tiered pricing for IEEE members ($465-$575) and non-members ($575-$695), plus sponsorship revenue from supporters and technical sponsors.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
Subscription	Multi-year contract	IEEE Member Summit Pass - Boston 2026
Subscription	Multi-year contract	Non-Member Summit Pass - Boston 2026
Freemium	Monthly	Community Membership - Free
Freemium	Pay-as-you-go	ENT Workshop Attendance - Free with travel support

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

IEEE Entrepreneurship product offering

Product offering

Core offering

IEEE Entrepreneurship is a global program portfolio within IEEE that supports technology entrepreneurs through flagship Venture Summits (Hard Tech and Quantum Tech) connecting startups with investors, ENT Workshops (ENT 101, ENT 102, Train-the-Trainer) for skill-building, an annual Impact Award, a Mentor Pipeline program, and a forthcoming digital Toolkit. The program operates through IEEE's network of 500,000+ engineers across 190+ countries, with a focus on underdeveloped innovation ecosystems.

Product overview

IEEE Entrepreneurship is a global program portfolio within IEEE that provides essential opportunities for networking, skill-building, resource access, and visibility to tech entrepreneurs worldwide. The core offerings include the Venture Summits Program (Hard Tech and Quantum Tech summits connecting startups with investors), the ENT Workshops Program (ENT 101 Foundations, ENT 102 Advanced Topics, and Train-the-Trainer), the IEEE Entrepreneurship Impact Award ($10,000 annual recognition), the Mentor Pipeline Program, and the forthcoming IEEE Entrepreneurship Toolkit (launching 2026). These programs work together to support entrepreneurs at every stage from ideation through growth, with a focus on underdeveloped innovation ecosystems globally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

Venture Summits: In-person flagship events connecting startups with relevant investors and service providers to help access the resources they need to move their startup forward.
ENT Workshops
Impact Award
Mentor Pipeline

Products and services

Venture Summits Program Flagship in-person event series connecting early-stage founders (pre-seed, seed, and Series A) with relevant investors and service providers to help access capital and resources to advance their startups.
Hard Tech Venture Summit Premier event connecting early-stage Hard Tech founders with pre-seed, seed, and Series A Hard Tech investors and critical service providers, addressing the unique challenges of hardware startups requiring intensive capital.
Quantum Tech Venture Summit Specialized summit connecting Quantum Tech founders (pre-seed, seed, and Series A) and researchers with funding sources and service providers, held in conjunction with IEEE Quantum Week.
ENT Workshops Program Entrepreneurship skill-building workshops delivered to technology entrepreneurs in underdeveloped innovation ecosystems worldwide, providing foundational and advanced entrepreneurship training.
ENT 101 - Foundations of Entrepreneurship Free, hands-on workshop delivering foundational entrepreneurship skills, frameworks, and mindsets to aspiring or early-stage technology entrepreneurs in underdeveloped ecosystems.
ENT 102 - Advanced Entrepreneurship Topics One-day intensive workshop for founders preparing to scale, covering governance, investment readiness, negotiation, partnership structures, and organizational growth.
Train-the-Trainer Workshop Free virtual workshop equipping volunteers, educators, and ecosystem builders with skills and confidence to deliver ENT 101 and ENT 102 curriculum in their own communities.
IEEE Entrepreneurship Impact Award Annual award recognizing an entrepreneur making significant impact on their community through technology commercialization, rewarding recipients with $10,000 USD and a commemorative plaque.
Mentor Pipeline Program Program connecting top minds from IEEE with incubator, accelerator, and venture development leaders serving tech entrepreneurs around the world.
IEEE Entrepreneurship Toolkit Free digital resource for tech entrepreneurs with customized content based on entrepreneur stage, technology, and location. Launching in pilot form in 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

Over 90% of attendees would recommend the Hard Tech Venture Summit program
+3 more outcomes

Companies that use IEEE Entrepreneurship

Customer profile

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

IEEE Entrepreneurship technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

IEEE Entrepreneurship partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, regional, core and strategic.

Syracuse University Invent@SU ProgramflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026IEEE Entrepreneurship partners with Syracuse University's College of Engineering and Computer Science on the Invent@SU six-week summer program where undergraduate students transform ideas into functional prototypes. IEEE Entrepreneurship sponsors awards recognizing excellence in innovation, engineering rigor, and entrepreneurial promise at Demo Day.
SRI InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026SRI International hosts the Silicon Valley Hard Tech Venture Summit at their Menlo Park facility, birthplace of the computer mouse, Arpanet, and Siri. SRI's 80+ years of innovation history provides an inspiring venue for hardware entrepreneurs.
IEEE MTT-S (Microwave Theory and Technology Society)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Hard Tech Venture Summit Boston is co-located with IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS) at Thomas M. Menino Convention Center, creating synergy between startup ecosystem and microwave/RF industry.
University of Buenos Aires (UBA)regionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Host institution for IEEE Entrepreneurship 101 Argentina Workshop held May 13-15, 2026. Partnership with UBA, CITES (venture capital company), and TOPFOT 2026 conference for optics and photonics entrepreneurship training.
IEEE-USA / IEEE Region 2 / IEEE Dayton SectionregionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-sponsors for IEEE Entrepreneurship 101 Ohio Workshop at University of Dayton (June 2026) along with IEEE Young Professionals & Women in Engineering Joint Chapter.
IEEE Systems CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Technical sponsor and partner for Hard Tech Venture Summits. The IEEE Systems Council provides organizational support and helps facilitate connections between entrepreneurs and systems engineering expertise.
IEEE Region 9 / IEEE Ecuador SectionregionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-sponsor for IEEE Entrepreneurship 101 Ecuador Workshop in Quito, Ecuador (December 2025) along with IEEE Young Professionals Ecuador Section and Universidad Politécnica Salesiana.
IEEE Region 8 / IEEE Tunisia SectionregionalStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-sponsor for IEEE Entrepreneurship 101 Tunisia Workshop in Gammarth, Tunis, Tunisia (August 2025) at Verdi Tunis Beach Resort. 28 participants from 8 countries attended.
IEEE Region 10flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025IEEE Region 10 Entrepreneurship Committee launched its own Ambassador Program after success in Regions 8 and 9. Received 540 applications, accepted 320 ambassadors in first year who produced 65 events engaging 6K+ participants.
Afretec UniversitiesstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Mastercard invested $20M in Afretec to encourage research and entrepreneurship in Africa. Partner universities include Carnegie Mellon University Africa, Wits University, University of Nairobi, University of Lagos, American University Cairo, University of Rwanda, and Al Akhawayn University. IEEE Entrepreneurship conducted Train-the-Trainer workshops to create force multipliers.
IEEE Technical Societies and CouncilscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015IEEE Entrepreneurship connects founders to IEEE's Technical Societies, Councils, and Communities spanning every major field of engineering. 20+ society liaisons coordinate programs including IEEE Systems Council, IEEE Robotics & Automation Society, IEEE Photonics Society, IEEE Quantum Week, and more.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

IEEE Entrepreneurship competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Emerging players

IndieBio: Biology-focused startup accelerator. Comparable to IEEE Entrepreneurship's vertical specialization approach (e.g., Hard Tech, Quantum Tech) for deep-tech founders.

Broad incumbents

Y Combinator: The largest and most recognized global startup accelerator. Compares to IEEE Entrepreneurship as both serve early-stage technology founders with curated programming, though YC deploys direct capital and is software-oriented vs. IEEE's hard-tech and non-capital-deploying model.
Techstars: Global accelerator network with mentor-driven programs for early-stage founders. Comparable to IEEE Entrepreneurship in delivering structured startup programming and mentor pipelines, though Techstars deploys direct investment and operates a paid mentor-driven curriculum.

Direct peers

Plug and Play Tech Center: Global innovation platform running industry-specific accelerator programs connecting startups with corporate partners and investors. Compares to IEEE Entrepreneurship's vertical-specific Venture Summits (Hard Tech, Quantum Tech) and corporate sponsor ecosystem.
Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator and entrepreneur training program. Comparable to IEEE Entrepreneurship's ENT 101/ENT 102 workshop curriculum and Train-the-Trainer model for delivering founder education worldwide.
MassChallenge: Global non-equity startup accelerator operating in multiple geographies. Comparable to IEEE Entrepreneurship in being non-equity, mission-driven, and operating global founder-support programming across regions.
1871: Chicago-based tech hub and startup incubator offering programming, mentorship, and corporate connections. Comparable to IEEE Entrepreneurship as a non-equity ecosystem builder for tech founders.
Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA): New York-based accelerator serving early-stage tech founders with mentor-driven programming. Comparable to IEEE Entrepreneurship's Venture Summit model of connecting vetted founders with investors and ecosystem players.

Regional players

StartX: Stanford-affiliated founder accelerator. Comparable to IEEE Entrepreneurship in its university/institution-affiliated, mentor-driven model for tech founders, though StartX is geographically concentrated.
Station F: Paris-based world's largest startup campus offering programs and corporate partner connections. Comparable to IEEE Entrepreneurship as a global entrepreneur support hub linking founders to corporate sponsors and capital.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

IEEE Entrepreneurship financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

IEEE Entrepreneurship leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

IEEE Entrepreneurship funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

IEEE Entrepreneurship M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about IEEE Entrepreneurship

What does IEEE Entrepreneurship do?

Is IEEE Entrepreneurship a public or private company?

IEEE Entrepreneurship is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was IEEE Entrepreneurship founded?

IEEE Entrepreneurship was founded in 2015. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.

Where is IEEE Entrepreneurship based?

IEEE Entrepreneurship is headquartered in Piscataway, United States, in the North America region.

How does IEEE Entrepreneurship make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. IEEE Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are venture Summit Registration Fees.

Who are IEEE Entrepreneurship's main competitors?

IndieBio is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Y Combinator and Techstars. Direct peers are Plug and Play Tech Center, Founder Institute, MassChallenge, 1871 and Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA). Regional players are StartX and Station F.

Does IEEE Entrepreneurship have an API?

No public API is recorded for IEEE Entrepreneurship.

What industry is IEEE Entrepreneurship in?

IEEE Entrepreneurship's product category is Entrepreneurship Support Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAA, Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics, with a secondary code of EDAMAHAK, Social Entrepreneurship & Impact Business. Its NAICS code is 6115 and its SIC code is 8200.