EPIC Lab ITAM

What EPIC Lab ITAM does

EPIC Lab ITAM is the Centro ITAM de Creatividad, Innovación y Emprendimiento (ITAM Center for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship), an entrepreneurship and innovation center operated as an organizational unit within the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM), a private non-profit university in Mexico City. The center was established in 2020 and runs a portfolio of in-person and hybrid programs targeted primarily at ITAM undergraduate students, with secondary outreach to alumni and students from other Mexican universities. Core offerings include the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Bootcamp (a two-week intensive built on MIT's Disciplined Entrepreneurship 24-step methodology and taught by an MIT Entrepreneur in Residence), the MAD Fellowship (an 8-week paid summer internship placing students at high-growth Mexican startups), the Wake-Up Speaker Series (now in its seventh season and featuring founders of Mexican unicorns including Clip, Kavak, Stori, and Incode), EPIC Tech (a Spring 2026 AI-and-technology workshop track), the Silicon Valley Global Immersion trip, weekly EPIC Retro mentoring sessions, and Fulbright Specialist workshops. Content is distributed through the EPIC+ digital platform, a YouTube channel, and a Spotify podcast.

The center does not operate proprietary technology and is structured as a non-profit academic unit rather than a commercial venture. Revenue is generated from a narrow set of program fees (Bootcamp at 13,000-15,000 MXN per student, Silicon Valley immersion at $1,000 USD per student after a Volaris subsidy) and philanthropic donations collected through the Red de Amigos EPIC (Friends of EPIC) donor network; many programs including Wake-Up, EPIC Retro, and EPIC Tech are offered free of charge. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: programming is delivered through scheduled cohort-based events with application-based selection, Demo Day investor presentations, and a multi-channel marketing presence on Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Spotify. EPIC Lab has ~26 employees and is governed operationally by Managing Director Daniela Ruiz Massieu, Strategy and Project Director Jana Boltvinik, and Operational Director Mariana Rojas. Key institutional and corporate partners include MIT's Martin Trust Center (curriculum), BBVA Spark Space and UNAM's Chemistry College (field-trip venues), Volaris (immersion sponsorship), and the Fulbright program (international academic specialists).

Name

EPIC Lab ITAM

Legal name

Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México

Website

https://epiclab.itam.mx

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EPIC Lab ITAM is a non-profit university entrepreneurship center within ITAM in Mexico City that runs Bootcamps, startup internships (MAD Fellowship), speaker series, AI workshops, and a Silicon Valley immersion program for ITAM students and alumni.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Education Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAMAKAK

Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubation & Pitch Programs

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/College & Career Enrichment (Mentorship, Internships, Portfolio)

SECONDARYEDAHAEAH

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Technical & Polytechnic Universities

SECONDARYEDAMAHAB

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Entrepreneurship & Business Enrichment

SECONDARYEDAMADAC

Makerspaces & Fab Labs (Open Build Studios)

Education/Supplemental & Enrichment Programs (Arts, STEM, Language)/Robotics, Engineering & Makerspaces

Keywords

• Entrepreneurship education
• Startup bootcamp
• Innovation programs
• University entrepreneurship center
• Startup fellowship

Headquarters

HQ city

Ciudad de México (Mexico City)

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: Revenue from paid programs including the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp (13,000-15,000 MXN depending on university affiliation), and the Silicon Valley immersion program (1,000 USD after subsidy).
2. Donations and Philanthropy (Red de Amigos): The Red de Amigos (Friends Network) generates donations from supporters. Members receive benefits including event invitations, recognition in annual reports, and tax-deductible receipts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EPIC Lab ITAM operates the ITAM Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, delivering structured entrepreneurship education programs to university students and alumni. Offerings include a two-week Entrepreneurship & Innovation Bootcamp taught with MIT's Disciplined Entrepreneurship methodology, an 8-week paid startup internship (MAD Fellowship), a recurring Wake-Up Speaker Series featuring successful founders, EPIC Tech technology workshops, a Silicon Valley immersion trip, and weekly EPIC Retro mentoring sessions. Programs are delivered in-person at the ITAM Rio Hondo Campus and select partner venues (BBVA Spark, UNAM), with recorded content published on the EPIC+ digital platform.

Product overview

EPIC Lab ITAM is the Centro ITAM de Creatividad, Innovación y Emprendimiento (ITAM Center for Creativity, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship) — an entrepreneurship center at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónoma de México in Mexico City. It is not a software product company but rather an educational and acceleration institution offering a portfolio of programs for students and alumni. The core programs include the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Bootcamp (a two-week MIT methodology-based intensive), the MAD Fellowship (an 8-week startup internship), the Wake-Up Speaker Series (expert fireside chats across seven seasons), EPIC Tech (AI and technology workshops), the Silicon Valley Global Immersion trip, EPIC Retro (weekly feedback sessions), and the Fulbright Specialist workshops. The EPIC+ digital platform publishes recorded content from these programs. The portfolio spans entrepreneurship education, mentorship, networking, and international exposure, all free or low-cost to ITAM students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bootcamp: Entrepreneurship & Innovation Bootcamp - a two-week intensive program teaching Disciplined Entrepreneurship methodology from MIT
• MAD Fellowship
• Wake-Up Speaker Series
• EPIC Tech
• Silicon Valley
• EPIC Retro
• Fulbright Specialist Program
• Red de Amigos EPIC

Products and services

• Entrepreneurship & Innovation Bootcamp 2026 A two-week intensive entrepreneurship program for university students that teaches Bill Aulet's MIT Disciplined Entrepreneurship 24-step methodology. Interuniversity teams of 4-5 students develop ventures and present at a Demo Day, with field experiences at BBVA Spark Space and UNAM Chemistry College.
• MAD Fellowship 2026 Summer fellowship placing ITAM undergraduate students into paid 8-week full-time internships at high-growth startups in Mexico City (June 8 – July 31, 2026). Fellows attend EPIC Lab workshops and compete in a Demo Day where winners earn a fully funded international entrepreneurship course.
• Wake-Up Speaker Series Recurring speaker series of fireside chats and expert presentations covering venture capital, technology trends, women transforming industry, navigating uncertainty, and AI as a catalyst for entrepreneurship. Delivered on Zoom and at the EPIC Lab space; recordings published on EPIC+ and YouTube.
• EPIC Tech 2026 Educational workshop series in Spring 2026 on AI and technology for entrepreneurship, with six sessions covering AI agents for data-driven decisions, technology ethics and regulation, AI tools, automation, MVP development, and data management.
• EPIC Tech Global Immersion – Silicon Valley A 7-day immersion program in Silicon Valley for ITAM students from any semester and major, with company visits, networking, and an optional MIT campus visit for Demo Day winners. Includes flight and hotel; participants pay $1,000 USD after Volaris subsidy (originally $1,500 USD).
• EPIC Retro

Quantifiable outcome

• Bootcamp winning team receives opportunity to spend 3 days on MIT's campus and attend Delta V Demo Day
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• John Alver Dobson (Fulbright Specialist 2026)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026Fulbright Specialist conducting workshops on applied innovation and business transformation from May 18-29. Professor at Clark University with PhD from University of Manchester and MA from London School of Economics.
• Martin Trust Center for MIT EntrepreneurshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIT's entrepreneurship center provides the Disciplined Entrepreneurship methodology taught by Jenny Larios Berlin (Entrepreneur in Residence). Bootcamp follows this 24-step methodology. Winning teams attend MIT Delta V Demo Day.
• BBVA Spark SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBootcamp includes 2 days at BBVA's Spark Space for field experience, providing students exposure to corporate innovation environments.
• UNAM Chemistry College (Facultad de Química)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBootcamp includes 1 day at UNAM's Chemistry College as part of interuniversity collaboration, with Rolando Bernal as Coordinator.
• VolarisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVolaris provides airline sponsorship that subsidizes the Silicon Valley immersion program cost from $1,500 USD to $1,000 USD for participants.
• Jenny Larios BerlincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMIT Entrepreneur in Residence and lecturer who teaches the Bootcamp's Disciplined Entrepreneurship methodology. Credentials include MIT Martin Trust Center.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stanford StartX: Stanford's university-affiliated startup accelerator supporting student and alumni founders. Most directly comparable to EPIC Lab as a top-tier university entrepreneurship center with selective cohorts, mentor networks, and Demo Day investor events.
• Instituto de Emprendimiento EGADE (Tec de Monterrey): EGADE Business School's entrepreneurship institute at Tec de Monterrey operates similar university-anchored startup programs and bootcamps for Mexican university students. Most direct Mexican comparable to EPIC Lab's university-center model.
• MIT delta v: MIT's summer student startup accelerator that culminates in Delta V Demo Day. EPIC Lab explicitly partners with the Martin Trust Center and sends Bootcamp winners to Delta V, making it both a feeder and a methodology peer.
• Centro de Innovación del ITESM (Tec de Monterrey): Tec de Monterrey's innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, including Tec Lean, Campus Norte, and venture studios. Closest direct peer in terms of being a Mexican top-tier private university's structured entrepreneurship center.

Broad incumbents

• Endeavor: Global high-impact entrepreneur support organization with deep LATAM roots (founded in part on Latin American founder stories). Comparable as a stage-agnostic entrepreneurship support platform, but operates across multiple countries rather than a single university.
• MassChallenge: Global non-profit accelerator running equity-free cohort programs for early-stage startups. Comparable as a non-profit, cohort-driven entrepreneurship support organization with university and corporate partnerships.
• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator running structured entrepreneurship programs in 100+ cities, including Mexico. Comparable as a methodology-driven entrepreneurship training program targeting aspiring founders, though not university-anchored.
• 500 Global (500 Startups): Global venture firm and accelerator with a strong LATAM presence (active Mexico funds). Comparable as a startup ecosystem builder with educational programming, though it invests capital rather than operating as a university center.

Regional players

• CEMEFI / Ashoka Mexico: Mexican non-profit ecosystem organizations supporting social entrepreneurship and innovation. Comparable as Mexican non-profit entrepreneurship support organizations, though focused on social impact rather than high-growth tech ventures.

Emerging players

• Antler: Global early-stage VC and founder residency program with active LATAM operations. Comparable in running cohort-based, methodology-driven programs for aspiring founders, though structured as a venture firm rather than a non-profit university center.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EpicLabITAM
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_F-fDfWTIxtgnL9uyK-FNw
• Facebookfacebook.com/EPICLabITAMspanol
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epic-lab-itam
• Instagraminstagram.com/epiclabitam/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 EPIC Lab ITAM