Additional Resources

The Columbia Commercialization & Entrepreneurial Resources Database lists programs and opportunities offered by Columbia's entrepreneurship community, including Columbia Technology Ventures, Columbia Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Design, SEAS Entrepreneurship, and many others. The database allows users to sort by their Columbia affiliation and what kind of opportunities they are seeking. 

Columbia Entrepreneurship, Innovation, and Design has compiled a list of Columbia resources for anyone looking to apply innovative thinking and an entrepreneurial mindset to challenges and opportunities in coursework, personal goals, careers, or launching a venture.

Increasingly, grant applications (whether Federal, Foundation, or from Industry) contain questions about Columbia’s policies and practices around entrepreneurship, intellectual property, technology transfer, interuniversity collaborations, or similar topics. Columbia Technology Ventures, Columbia Entrepreneurship, and Columbia's Office of the Executive Vice President for Research, have partnered to gather sample answers to the most common variants of these questions, which are now available for Columbia researchers to simply copy and paste (or edit as you see fit) into grant applications.

For SBIR guidance, visit Tutorials | SBIR for more information.

L2M is occasionally asked by technology entrepreneurs for the names of attorneys who are able to represent Columbia startup companies during their formative stages, and in particular during the licensing discussions with L2M. While Columbia does not recommend any particular firm nor require the use of any of these firms, listed below are some firms that represent that they:

• Have an entrepreneurship practice able to fulfill the needs of most startup companies (i.e., formation as a Delaware corporation; bylaws; issuance of founder’s stock; creation of equity incentive plan and initial option grant; related securities laws filings; standard forms for consulting, advisory board agreements, proprietary information, assignment of inventions; set-up of minute book and stock ledger; coordination with patent counsel; experience negotiating license agreements for early-stage IP);
• Have attorneys with experience in both physical sciences and health sciences; and
• Offer a fixed fee or deferred fee deal for Columbia startup companies, in order to help companies manage their cash burn (please be sure to mention CTV/L2M in your outreach)

The list below provides the contact information for the lead partner(s) at each firm, as well as a link describing the firm’s startup experience and the offer (if any) that they are currently making to startup companies.

• Goodwin Procter (Stephen Davis and Kingsley Taft)
• Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati (Craig Kenesky)
• Mintz Levin (Dan DeWolf)
• Morgan Lewis (Andrew Hamilton and Jay Carrigan)
• Fenwick & West (Evan Bienstock)
• Orrick (Stephen Thau, Scott Iyama, Shana Solomon, and Daniel Forester)
• Cooley (Geoffrey Spolyar)

The Almaworks Accelerator offers cohort companies a unique set of value-adds including world-class mentorship from experts in the NYC startup ecosystem, access to VCs and investors, benefits from corporate technology and legal partners (including Google, Amazon, and Brex), and more, with campus media that collectively reaches more than 13,000 subscribers and followers. We take no equity and help early-stage startups run by Columbia-affiliated entrepreneurs achieve significant, sustainable growth. Our 70+ graduated startups have collectively raised more than $30M in funding and enrolled in programs like TechStars, Y Combinator, and Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator and are advised by world-class mentors with expertise in startup growth, product, funding, legal, finance, and wellness

Learn more HERE.

Big Idea’s accelerator is a five-month program available to startups focused on sustainable proteins, fats, ingredients, sweeteners, flavorings, or monocrops. Eligible startups will receive $200,000 in funding from the program, $125,000 in cash and $75,000 for the program itself. 

Learn more at: Home - bigideaventures

BioLabs at NYU Langone provides an engaging, collaborative space, top-of-the-line research equipment, business support and acceleration programming to help startup companies reach their milestones faster.

Learn more at: https://www.biolabs.io/nyulangone

Blueprint Health is a community of entrepreneurs in the healthcare space that help healthcare IT companies grow. Companies work with mentors for three months to reach their business goals. To participate in the accelerator program, startups give 6% equity.

Learn more at: Blueprint Health

ConsenSys Mesh is working to help with the global adoption of Web 3.0. Through its 12-week, fully remote accelerator program Tachyon, it has helped over 80 startups with acceleration. The program is open to web3 startups with technical founders and offers $150,000 in investment as well as advisory and mentoring opportunities.

Learn more at: Tachyon 

Dreamit Healthtech is a vertical of Dreamit Venture. It works with over 70 customer partners, including Johns Hopkins, Geisinger, Intermountain Healthcare, and Cone Health as well as more than 1000 investors. The firm takes eligible startups through customer and investor ‘sprints’ to dramatically accelerate the customer acquisition and fundraising process for participating startups. 

Learn more at: Dreamit Ventures

Echoing Green has invested over $37 million in over 700 fellows located in over 86 countries around the world. The group’s accelerator program, called Fellowship, provides leadership development, wellness and wellbeing support, and resources from experts. Qualifying startups also receive an 18-month stipend of seed funding totaling $80,000 in recoverable grants.

Learn more at: Echoing Green

Learn more at: https://www.elabnyc.com/

Endless Frontier Labs is a nine-month program focused on maximizing the potential of massively-scalable, science and deep technology startups.

Learn more at: https://endlessfrontierlabs.com/

Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) combines seed capital, hands-on help and a great co-working location with an expert team to positively impact the trajectory of early-stage startups. ERA runs two, four-month programs per year.

Learn more at: https://www.eranyc.com/

FinTech Innovation Lab offers fintech startups from early to growth-stage refine their value proposition over the course of a 12-week program. This fund, called “The Partnership Fund for New York City,” is an investment worth $180 million.

Learn more at: FinTech Innovation Lab

The group’s accelerator program is built for business-to-business (B2B) SaaS founders. Built by former SaaS founders and operators, the program supplies entrepreneurs with a fractional cofounder to provide personalized support from idea to minimum viable product (MVP) to fundraising and beyond. Participating startups receive an initial investment of $50,000 or $100,000, mentor matches, introductions to more than 25 curated funds, and more.

Learn more at: Forum Ventures 

Genius NY focuses on uncrewed aerial systems, big data startups, and robotics. It collaborates with Starburst — itself an aerospace and defense accelerator — to invest in early-stage startups. The first place startup receives $1 million in funding while the other four receive $500,000 investments. Participating startups also receive support in business development, industry networking, investors relations, executive advisory services, free office space, and fundraising.

Learn more at: GENIUS NY 

Harlem Biospace @ Mink is a biotech incubator located in New York City that supports life science startups. It offers affordable lab space, equipment, and resources to help entrepreneurs and researchers develop their innovations in areas like drug discovery, diagnostics, and biotechnology. Harlem Biospace fosters a collaborative community of scientists, providing mentorship and networking opportunities to accelerate the growth of its member companies. Positioned in the heart of Harlem central to three academic campuses (Columbia University, City College of New York, and Columbia Manhattanville campus), it plays a crucial role in driving biotech innovation within the local ecosystem.

Learn more HERE.

IndieBio is a leading early-stage biotech accelerator that supports early-stage startups aiming to address global challenges through scientific innovation. Based in San Francisco & New York City, it offers funding, mentorship, and access to state-of-the-art lab facilities to help founders rapidly develop and scale their ideas. IndieBio focuses on breakthroughs in areas like health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability, fostering companies that push the boundaries of biology. The program's ecosystem connects entrepreneurs with investors, industry leaders, and a global network to drive impactful biotech solutions. Over 200 alumni have been built with IndieBio and have gone on to raise over $9 Billion in follow-on funding. 

Learn more HERE.

Lair East Labs helps early-stage venture, seed, and venture startups in pre-seed or raising seed stages. Through the company’s 10-week program, eight to 12 startups receive up to $150,000 to help them expand into Asian markets. Its portfolio includes enterprise, deeptech, hardware, consumer, entertainment, and health industries.

Learn more at: Lair East Labs

The Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab is an in-house startup accelerator. Its goal is to promote financial inclusion and help companies with underrepresented founders get capital for their early-stage technology or tech-enabled companies.

Learn more at: Morgan Stanley Inclusive Ventures Lab

Newlab, located in Brooklyn's Navy Yard, is a dynamic innovation hub that fosters cutting-edge technology and entrepreneurship. It provides a collaborative workspace and ecosystem for startups and established companies, focusing on areas like robotics, AI, and sustainable solutions. With a strong emphasis on multidisciplinary innovation, Newlab supports its members with resources, mentorship, and partnerships to scale transformative ideas. The community at Newlab is driven by a mission to address global challenges through technology and creative problem-solving. Today it is home to more than 250 deep tech startups and over 1,000 entrepreneurs, inventors, investors, and optimists working together to address critical challenges in energy, mobility, and materials.

Learn more HERE.

NYC is home to a thriving tech community --- ranked as the #2 strongest startup ecosystem in the world. Founders and innovators flock to NYC to start their companies and surround themselves with a deep bench of industry experts, talent, corporate partners, investors and mentors. Over 400 Techstars founders live in NYC, working to build the next generation of game changing companies.

Learn more at: https://www.techstars.com/nyc-program/

URBAN-X is a resource for startups working with urbantech solutions. Its goal is to make cities more resilient, livable, and sustainable. The accelerator program is for seed-stage founders with a prototype in the CleanTech industry (or branches of it). Additionally, URBAN-X aims to support and empower underrepresented founders with 35% of the program’s startup founders being women and 43% being people of color.

Learn more at: URBAN-X 

VentureOut is an accelerator providing tech startups with resources, mentorship, and access to vast networks of industry experts. It has operated since 2012 and provides programs for startups within several sectors from AI to enterprise tech to cybersecurity. VentureOut has over 1,000 alumni and has raised over $2 billion. The company offers one-week and multi-month accelerator programs as well as pitch competitions to allow startups to gain funding opportunities from investors.

Learn more at: VentureOut

Waldencast has the goal of building a global beauty and wellness platform with multiple brands. It works as an accelerator, incubator, venture capital firm, and private equity firm investing in convertible notes, early-stage ventures, late-stage ventures, private equity, seed, and venture stages. Waldencast has nine portfolio companies. Each company chosen for investment gains access to product development, finance, marketing, supply chain human resources (HR), and more types of valuable support to help build their businesses.

Learn more at: Waldencast Ventures 

Y Combinator provides seed funding for startups. Seed funding is the earliest stage of venture funding. It pays your expenses while you’re getting started.

Learn more at: https://www.ycombinator.com/

 The 4-month seed accelerator program provides participants with mentorship, hands-on sessions with startup experts, and a shared office space with other founders.

Learn more at: https://500.co/

XRC Ventures is a venture capital firm and startup accelerator for the next generation of disruptors in the retail technology, consumer healthtech and consumer goods sectors. The firm’s XRC Accelerator Fund & Program invests in pre-seed startups, providing operational support, mentoring, and access to a network of entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders. Eligible startups receive $200,000 on a post-money SAFE, which includes the $50,000 accelerator fee, in exchange for 7% equity in the company. 

Learn more at: XRC Ventures