The campus field guide
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
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Inside this ecosystem · 5 linked sources
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo runs the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, with student programs at the CIE HotHouse in downtown San Luis Obispo. Official pages describe Innovation Quest, a summer accelerator, the Hatchery, and an elevator pitch competition.
This page is compiled from public university and program pages. It has not been claimed or corrected by the school.
Include. Cal Poly has a dedicated center, a funded student pitch competition, and a summer accelerator housed off campus.
How we know this: the figures on this page come from the linked sources (last verified 2026-10-08); what those sources do not state is left unknown.
At a glance
Indexed programs
5
All currently active
Top direct funding
$15,000
Innovation Quest
Equity
Mixed equity terms
Program mix
4
Entrepreneurship Center · Pitch Competition · Incubator
Programs to explore
Compare funding, equity, and timing before you apply.
5 programs indexed
Pitch Competition
$1,000
funding range
- Last activity
- —
- Participants
- Undergraduate Students
- Verification
- Partially Verified
$15,000
funding range
- Last activity
- —
- Participants
- Undergraduate Students
- Verification
- Partially Verified
Accelerator
—
funding range
- Last activity
- —
- Participants
- Undergraduate Students
- Verification
- Partially Verified
Incubator
—
funding range
- Last activity
- —
- Participants
- Undergraduate Students
- Verification
- Partially Verified
Entrepreneurship Center
Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship CenterAlso: CIE, HotHouse
—
funding range
- Last activity
- —
- Participants
- Undergraduate Students, Community Entrepreneurs
- Verification
- Partially Verified
From students
Be the first student from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo to post a startup.
Post a startupFunding and Equity
Innovation Quest offers a $15,000 grand prize and over $10,000 in additional prize money. The elevator pitch competition offers a chance to win $1,000. The Summer Accelerator page says student founders receive tools, funding, and space. Equity terms are not stated on the CIE pages used here.
Recent Activity
The CIE homepage invites students to an Elevator Pitch Competition on October 28 and highlights a summer demo day. Innovation Quest's page says the program has awarded more than $400,000 since it was founded in 2004.
Known Startups and Winners
The CIE homepage headlines mention Novocuff, Abstract Security, NeoCharge, Mr. Turtle, and student teams at the Sunstone CSU Startup Launch Competition. Those headlines are not a winner roster.
Research gaps & things to verify
Missing Information
The year attached to the October 28 elevator pitch, Summer Accelerator stipend size, and equity terms.
News & articles
5 news articles and official sources documenting entrepreneurship programs, winners, and activity at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
5 sources
Official sources(5)
Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The Cal Poly Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship helps students and community members learn, prepare, and launch ventures. Programs named on the homepage include Innovation Quest, the Summer Accelerator, the Hatchery, the Elevator Pitch Competition, Startup Launch Weekend, and a community incubator. The HotHouse is the downtown San Luis Obispo home of CIE programs.
Read on California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
CIE Elevator Pitch Competition
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
CIE Elevator Pitch Competition
CIE's Elevator Pitch Competition gives students 90 seconds to pitch an idea to entrepreneurs. The homepage says participants can win $1,000.
Read on California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
CIE Hatchery
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
CIE Hatchery
CIE says the Hatchery is designed to shape and grow student-led startups and to help students build a business from scratch, including ideas that start before graduation.
Read on California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Innovation Quest
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
Innovation Quest
Innovation Quest is CIE's student competition for moving ideas toward prototypes and companies. The page says it offers a $15,000 grand prize and over $10,000 in additional prize money, and that iQ has awarded more than $400,000 since founders Carson Chen, Richard Boberg, and Laura Pickering started it in 2004.
Read on California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
CIE Summer Accelerator
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
CIE Summer Accelerator
CIE says that over 12 weeks, student founders receive tools, funding, and space to launch businesses. The accelerator is housed at the CIE HotHouse in downtown San Luis Obispo.
Read on California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo has a public page built from sources. If a detail is wrong, students still see it.
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