The Anvil

What The Anvil does

The Anvil is a student-run entrepreneurship hub based at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, founded in 2013. It operates as a non-profit student organization that provides community, programs, and resources to student entrepreneurs on the Purdue campus. The organization is free for students to access and is sustained through corporate partnership sponsorships structured in tiers (Title, Gold, Silver), with a named partner roster spanning venture capital, university affiliates, and professional services.

The Anvil's core product offering is a portfolio of programs including BoilerLaunch (a flagship pitch/launch event), The Forge (a speaker and workshop series), The Boiler (an accelerator program), Community Nights, 1:1 Mentorship, and Founder Workshops. The organization reports having impacted 1,500+ students, supported 80 startups, and produced 6 alumni companies admitted to Y Combinator, supported by a network of 100+ alumni and mentors.

The business model is sponsorship-driven rather than revenue-generating in the conventional sense. The Anvil does not charge students for access to programs; instead, it derives operating support from a roster of named partners including Pear VC, M25, Elevate Ventures, Purdue Innovates, HIVE, Gutwein Law, World Business Chicago, SVBIG, and mHUB. The organization is led by Co-President Bernardo Chalaça, with Mike Asem identified as a founder. As a student-run org with a 1-10 headcount that is predominantly volunteer, The Anvil functions as a campus-anchored platform rather than a scaled commercial enterprise.

Name

The Anvil

Legal name

The Anvil

Website

https://anvilstartups.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Anvil is a student-run entrepreneurship hub at Purdue University, founded in 2013, that provides free programs, mentorship, and an accelerator to student founders. It is funded through tiered corporate sponsorships and reports 1,500+ students impacted and 6 alumni companies in Y Combinator.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubator / Entrepreneurship Hub

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubation & Pitch Programs (EDAMAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Business, Entrepreneurship & Case Competitions (DECA-style, Pitch, Case) (EDAMAGAJ), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Student entrepreneurship hub
• Startup incubator programs
• Pitch competition events
• Mentorship matching services
• Founder community workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

West Lafayette

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Partnership Sponsorships: Revenue generated through partnership tiers (Title Sponsor, Gold Partner, Silver Partner) where organizations pay for brand exposure, logo placement, event access, and recruiting opportunities with student entrepreneurs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Anvil operates a student-led entrepreneurship hub at Purdue University delivering free programs and events for student founders, builders, and curious students. Core offerings include the BoilerLaunch annual pitch competition, The Forge speaker series, The Boiler accelerator-style cohort program, Community Nights networking meetups, a 1:1 Mentorship Program, and Founder Workshops covering fundraising and product-market fit. Programs are delivered on-campus and via digital channels, with sponsorship tiers (Title, Gold, Silver) sold to partner organizations for brand exposure and recruiting access.

Product overview

The Anvil is a student-led entrepreneurship hub offering a portfolio of programs designed to support student founders at every stage. The core offerings include BoilerLaunch (flagship annual startup pitch competition), The Forge (bi-monthly speaker series), The Boiler (accelerator-style cohort program), Startup Community Nights (networking events), the Mentorship Program (1:1 mentorship matching), and Founder Workshops (skill-building sessions). These programs collectively provide education, community, mentorship, networking, and funding access for Purdue student entrepreneurs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BoilerLaunch: Purdue's premier annual student startup competition featuring live pitching rounds, expert judges, workshops, and networking.
• The Forge
• The Boiler

Products and services

• BoilerLaunch Purdue's premier annual student startup competition featuring live pitch rounds, expert judges, workshops, and networking. Founders compete for cash prizes and investor exposure during a two-day event held at Purdue University.
• The Forge Bi-monthly speaker series featuring candid conversations with founders, operators, and investors sharing real stories from the startup world. Open to all students with Q&A sessions.
• The Boiler Structured accelerator-style program for promising student ventures featuring cohort-based support, dedicated mentorship, demo day, and funding opportunities. Application-based with an inaugural cohort launching soon.
• Startup Community Nights Low-key founder meetups held weekly or bi-weekly where students with startup ideas connect with builders and potential co-founders. Features casual atmosphere, co-founder matching, and peer feedback.
• Mentorship Program One-on-one mentorship matching students with mentors from the Purdue alumni network, local founders, and Midwest investors. Provides strategic guidance, investor introductions, and ongoing support sessions.
• Founder Workshops Hands-on monthly workshops covering fundraising mechanics, pitch deck design, product-market fit, go-to-market strategy, and team building. Led by practitioners with real company-building experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6 startups admitted to Y Combinator and other prestigious accelerators
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Purdue InnovatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity-affiliated innovation hub supporting technology commercialization and startup development at Purdue. Collaborates on programs and resources for student entrepreneurs.
• HIVE (Hub for Innovation, Ventures, and Entrepreneurship)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPurdue University's central hub for entrepreneurship within the College of Engineering. Provides institutional support, resources, and facilities for student ventures.
• Gutwein LawsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm specializing in startup legal matters including incorporation, funding rounds, and IP protection. Provides pro-bono or discounted services to student founders.
• World Business ChicagosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerEconomic development organization promoting Chicago's business ecosystem. Provides networking opportunities and connects Purdue students to Chicago's entrepreneurial community.
• SVBIGsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSilicon Valley Business Innovation Group - intercollegiate network connecting student entrepreneurs across regions for collaboration and resource sharing.
• mHUBsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerChicago-based hardware and product innovation center providing prototyping facilities and industry connections for physical product startups.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Techstars: Large-scale global startup accelerator operating numerous sector- and industry-specific programs with mentor networks and demo days. Comparable as a broader incumbent in the accelerator space that competes with The Boiler for founder mindshare and sponsor attention.
• Blackstone LaunchPad: Network of campus-based entrepreneurship programs supported by the Blackstone Charitable Foundation across US universities. Comparable as a university-embedded entrepreneurship program with events, mentorship, and founder resources similar to The Anvil's structure.
• MassChallenge: Large global non-profit accelerator running equity-free cohort programs for early-stage startups with mentor and corporate partner networks. Comparable as a non-profit cohort-based accelerator that competes for the same sponsor dollars and founder applications.
• Y Combinator: Top-tier global startup accelerator serving as the destination accelerator for many Anvil alumni (6 admitted). Functions as an upstream benchmark for The Boiler and as the aspirational funnel endpoint for BoilerLaunch winners.

Direct peers

• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed startup accelerator and training program that runs cohort-based programs covering ideation, validation, and fundraising. Directly comparable to The Boiler accelerator and Founder Workshops programming at a much larger, multi-region scale.
• Rough Draft Ventures: Student-run pre-seed fund backed by General Catalyst that provides capital and support to student founders across partner universities. Comparable as a student-driven, university-networked venture organization providing both community and funding pathways to founders.
• StartX: Stanford University student-led startup accelerator that supports founders across ideation through seed stages with mentorship and demo days. Directly comparable as a university-anchored, student-founder-focused entrepreneurship hub that runs cohort programs and competitions similar to The Boiler and BoilerLaunch.
• Dorm Room Fund: Student-run venture fund backed by First Round Capital that invests exclusively in student founders through a network of student partners across universities. Comparable as a student-operated organization that funnels startup support, capital access, and community to founders in a university ecosystem.
• MIT delta v: MIT's premier student-run summer startup accelerator with cohort-based programs, mentorship, and demo day for student founders. Closely comparable to The Boiler accelerator model and The Anvil's overall student-led positioning inside a top-tier engineering institution.
• SVBIG (Silicon Valley Business Innovation Group): Intercollegiate student entrepreneur network connecting founders, investors, and resources across universities. The Anvil lists SVBIG as a 'mutual' strategic partner; comparable as a peer network organization operating in the same intercollegiate student entrepreneur ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-anvil
• Instagraminstagram.com/anvilstartups
• Xx.com/anvilstartups
• Facebookfacebook.com/anvilstartups

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 The Anvil