Startup UCLA Accelerator
Startup UCLA Accelerator is UCLA's university-affiliated entrepreneurship program providing workspace, mentorship, legal services, and a $5,000 equity-free stipend to early-stage startups founded by UCLA students, alumni, faculty, and high school students.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLos Angeles, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Startup UCLA Accelerator does
Startup UCLA Accelerator is UCLA's central entrepreneurship hub, founded in 2012 as a university-affiliated program (rather than an independently incorporated entity). It provides workspace, mentorship, legal services, and a $5,000 equity-free stipend to early-stage companies through three core programs: the Summer Accelerator (a 10-week intensive running July–September for UCLA students and recent alumni), Innovation Fellows (a faculty-focused program advancing innovative projects into startups, centers, or non-profits through workshops and 1:1 venture consulting), and the Pre-College Institute (a year-round program serving high school students). Unlike most accelerators, Startup UCLA takes no equity in participating startups. The program is delivered from its Covel Commons 203 facility on the UCLA campus and is led by Director Robert Jadon, a UCLA alumnus whose prior company Micro Memory was acquired by VMETRO and subsequently Curtiss Wright (NYSE: CW).
The program is funded through institutional grants and donations rather than equity returns. Its largest disclosed funding event was a $3.5 million, three-year grant from the Blackstone Charitable Foundation in February 2014, which established the Blackstone LaunchPad partnership at UCLA alongside USC, UC Irvine, and the LA County Economic Development Corporation. Additional sponsorship comes from law firm Fenwick (Legal Formation Workshops), VC firms Lightspeed Ventures and MuckerLab (fireside chats, mentorship), and the Eggers family's annual $5,000 seed prize. Startup UCLA has supported 3,010 founders, held 4,500 venture consulting meetings through LaunchPad consultants, and alumni startups have collectively raised over $100 million. Notable alumni outcomes include Enrou's $400,000 win at the Forbes Under 30 pitch competition. The program is distributed directly on-campus, recruited through student organization partnerships (Bruin Entrepreneurs, UPE, ACM, Sigma Eta Pi, Bruin Ventures) and UCLA Anderson School of Management coursework (MGMT 180 series), and is positioned as UCLA's interdisciplinary, cross-campus entrepreneurship platform.
Startup UCLA Accelerator firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Startup UCLA Accelerator
- Legal name
- Startup UCLA
- Website
- https://startupucla.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Startup UCLA Accelerator is UCLA's university-affiliated entrepreneurship program providing workspace, mentorship, legal services, and a $5,000 equity-free stipend to early-stage startups founded by UCLA students, alumni, faculty, and high school students.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Startup UCLA Accelerator industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Startup Accelerator & Entrepreneurship Programs
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)
Keywords
Where Startup UCLA Accelerator is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Los Angeles
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Startup UCLA Accelerator business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Grant Funding & Institutional Support: Startup UCLA operates as a university-affiliated accelerator funded through institutional grants, the Blackstone LaunchPad partnership ($3.5M grant), donations, and sponsor relationships with law firms and corporations. The program provides equity-free funding ($5,000 stipends) to participants and does not take equity in startups.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Summer Accelerator - $5,000 equity-free grant |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Startup UCLA Accelerator product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Startup UCLA Accelerator is UCLA's central entrepreneurship hub that provides workspace, mentorship, legal services, and equity-free funding to early-stage companies founded by UCLA students, alumni, and faculty. It runs a 10-week Summer Accelerator for early-stage startups, an Innovation Fellows program for faculty projects, and a year-round Pre-College Institute for high school students. Unlike most accelerators, Startup UCLA takes no equity in participating startups.
Product overview
Startup UCLA is UCLA's central entrepreneurship hub offering a portfolio of three core programs: the Summer Accelerator (a 10-week intensive for early-stage startups), Innovation Fellows (faculty-focused venture development), and Pre-College Institute (high school entrepreneurship education). The accelerator provides workspace, mentorship, legal services, and equity-free funding, while the Innovation Fellows program supports faculty projects through workshops and consulting. The Pre-College Institute offers year-round programming for high school students.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Summer Accelerator: A 10-week accelerator program providing workspace, guidance, legal services, mentors, $5k equity-free stipend, and exposure to entrepreneurs, investors, and experts for early-stage companies.
- Innovation Fellows
- Pre-College Institute
- Barry and Meredith Eggers Entrepreneurial Seed Funding Prize
- Bruin Impact Challenge
Products and services
- Summer Accelerator A 10-week intensive summer program providing workspace, mentorship, legal services, $5,000 equity-free stipend, and access to investors and experts for early-stage startup companies founded by UCLA students and recent alumni. No equity is taken in participating startups.
- Innovation Fellows A campus-wide program advancing innovative UCLA faculty projects into new startups, centers, or non-profits through a series of workshops and 1:1 venture consulting meetings.
- Pre-College Institute A year-round entrepreneurship and innovation program for high school students featuring hands-on workshops, mentorship, and collaborative projects to develop critical thinking, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
- Barry and Meredith Eggers Entrepreneurial Seed Funding Prize A $5,000 seed funding prize awarded to a UCLA student or alumni-led team, including a mentor meeting with Lightspeed Ventures founding partner Barry Eggers, to support early-stage startup development.
Quantifiable outcome
- $100M+ raised by alumni
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Startup UCLA Accelerator
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Startup UCLA Accelerator technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Startup UCLA Accelerator partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- FenwickcoreLaw firm Fenwick serves as a sponsor, providing Legal Formation Workshop for Innovation Fellows and legal guidance for Summer Accelerator participants. Partner Josh Geffon runs legal workshops. Michael Brown, Partner at Fenwick, presents Legal Workshops covering early-stage legal basics.
- Blackstone LaunchPadcoreUCLA's first interdisciplinary, cross-campus entrepreneurship program. Blackstone Charitable Foundation provided a three-year, $3.5 million grant to establish partnerships with UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, and LA County Economic Development Corporation. The LaunchPad provides venture coaches, entrepreneurial support system, and connects to 350,000+ students at 15 universities nationwide.
- MuckerLab / Mucker CapitalminorWilliam Hsu, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of MuckerLab, participates in fireside chats with Startup UCLA. MuckerLab is one of LA's premiere early-stage investment firms with $65M in funds and 55 investments.
- UCLA Anderson School of ManagementcorePartnership with UCLA Anderson for undergraduate entrepreneurship courses (MGMT 180 series) including Entrepreneurial Technology and Science Commercialization, Entrepreneurship and Venture Initiation, and Business Plan Development.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Startup UCLA Accelerator competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Startup UCLA Accelerator social profiles
Digital presenceStartup UCLA Accelerator financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Startup UCLA Accelerator leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Startup UCLA Accelerator funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Startup UCLA Accelerator M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Startup UCLA Accelerator
What does Startup UCLA Accelerator do?
Startup UCLA Accelerator is UCLA's central entrepreneurship hub that provides workspace, mentorship, legal services, and equity-free funding to early-stage companies founded by UCLA students, alumni, and faculty. It runs a 10-week Summer Accelerator for early-stage startups, an Innovation Fellows program for faculty projects, and a year-round Pre-College Institute for high school students. Unlike most accelerators, Startup UCLA takes no equity in participating startups.
Is Startup UCLA Accelerator a public or private company?
Startup UCLA Accelerator is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Startup UCLA Accelerator founded?
Startup UCLA Accelerator was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Startup UCLA Accelerator based?
Startup UCLA Accelerator is headquartered in Los Angeles, United States, in the North America region.
How does Startup UCLA Accelerator make money?
One revenue line is on record: grant Funding & Institutional Support.
Does Startup UCLA Accelerator have an API?
No public API is recorded for Startup UCLA Accelerator.
What industry is Startup UCLA Accelerator in?
Startup UCLA Accelerator's product category is Startup Accelerator & Entrepreneurship Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMAHAC, Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators, with a secondary code of FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated). Its NAICS code is 6113.