Duke University

Duke Startup Showcase

URL: https://entrepreneurship.duke.edu/startup-support/duke-startup-showcase/ https://entrepreneurship.duke.edu/story/dukes-biggest-night-entrepreneurship/ (2026 results) Captured: 2026-06-27 Flagship pitch competition. Over $110,000 in non-dilutive prizes. 2026 event (April 9, 2026): 85+ student ventures applied 36 selected to showcase 10 finalists, 7 pitched live 400+ attendees 2026 Winners: Helian — $30,000 Borchardt Grand Prize (undergrad) Toilemetry — $30,000 (graduate/professional) Serv Technologies Group — $10,000 Borchardt Runner-Up (undergrad) Jeani — $10,000 (graduate/professional) + $7,500 Dean Yep, Jr. Prize momnt. — $5,000 (undergrad) VoxIntel AI — $5,000 (graduate/professional) WeGotYou — $10,000 Social Innovation Prize Grid Intelligence — $5,000 Best in Showcase + $3,000 Climate & Sustainability Prize FY25 total: $329,000+ in non-dilutive prizes and student-founder support funds. 351 active student founders, 270 ventures.

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Duke University

BRiDGE Incubator

URL: https://cfci.pratt.duke.edu/bridge/ Captured: 2026-06-27 BRiDGE (Christensen Family Center for Innovation) incubator at Duke's Pratt School of Engineering. Located in Chesterfield building, downtown Durham (former cigarette factory redeveloped into life sciences and tech research facility). Facilities: Secured lab space 24/7 Conference rooms, kitchen, parking Equipment: AKTA Pure Chromatography, Autoclave, Bioreactor, Biosafety Cabinet, Centrifuge, CO2 Incubators, Formlabs 3D Printer, Fume Hoods, Gel electrophoresis, etc.

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Duke University

Duke Capital Partners

URL: https://dukecapitalpartners.duke.edu/ https://dukecapitalpartners.duke.edu/entrepreneurs/ Captured: 2026-06-27 Duke's official early-stage venture investment network. Alumni, faculty, parents invest in Duke-affiliated startups. Key stats: Founded: 2014 (10th anniversary 2025) Portfolio: $105M invested across 65+ companies FY25: $21.9M invested across 23 financings Average initial investment: $500K-$2M Combined enterprise value of portfolio: $1.77T (76 companies) 42 DCP Associates evaluated investment opportunities in FY25 150+ graduate students completed Associate program since 2015 Investment criteria: Must have Duke-connected founder, executive, board member, or major investor Raising $1M+ or syndicating later-stage Industry-agnostic but avoid long exit cycles and extremely capital-intensive

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Duke University

Duke I&E Ecosystem

URL: https://entrepreneurship.duke.edu/about/ecosystem/ https://entrepreneurship.duke.edu/about/impact-2025/1-experiential-learning/ https://entrepreneurship.duke.edu/about/impact-2025/2-startup-awards/ Captured: 2026-06-27 Duke I&E part of vast innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem with partners: Ecosystem partners: Office of Translation & Commercialization (OTC) Duke Capital Partners (DCP) Christensen Family Center for Innovation (CFCI) Innovation Co-Lab (maker spaces) BRiDGE Startup Incubator The Foundry (7,600 sq ft project space) MedBlue Incubator DUHatch (student incubator) Additional programs mentioned: Interplay Fellows Award: $40K non-dilutive + mentorship for graduating student founder. Backed by $1M commitment from Interplay. I&E+ pilot: 8 students matched with 5 partner startups for 10-week summer program Duke I&E Pop-Ups: skill-building workshops, 34 sessions, 1,306 attendees in 2024 Spark Your Startup: framework for early-stage exploration Duke Law Startup Ventures Clinic: legal clinic for entrepreneurs Christensen Product Lab: paid student builders for software projects First-Year Design: engineering design course for real client problems Student organizations: Duke Venture Group, Entrepreneurship & VC Club, Duke Impact Investing Group, Private Equity & VC Club

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Duke University

Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship

URL: https://entrepreneurship.duke.edu/about/ Captured: 2026-06-27 Duke Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Duke I&E) central hub — empowers Duke community to lead with creativity, resilience, and impact. Hub of programs, faculty, global connections. Born from Duke Interdisciplinary Studies and Fuqua. Director: Jamie Jones Luby Family Bullpen — physical hub/co-working space for innovators at 100 Fuqua Drive, Durham, NC.

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Duke University

LAUNCH Early-Stage Founders

URL: https://entrepreneurship.duke.edu/startup-support/launch-early-stage-founders/ Captured: 2026-06-27 Early-stage founder community at Duke I&E. Benefits: Bi-weekly community sessions Expert-led sessions on building, pitching, scaling Early access to visiting VCs and Duke alumni investors Invitation to Founders Weekend Priority consideration to pitch at Duke Startup Showcase Up to $1,000 in non-dilutive funding per semester

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Duke University

Melissa & Doug Entrepreneurs

URL: https://entrepreneurship.duke.edu/experiences-programs/melissa-doug-entrepreneurs/ Captured: 2026-06-27 Duke's premier startup accelerator for students who have launched companies. Year-long, not-for-credit program. Benefits: Bi-monthly community meetings Monthly mentor meetings Three executive coaching sessions per semester $5,000 funding (up to $10,000 total with follow-on) Two all-expenses-paid trips Priority access to visiting alumni and Startup Showcase Eligibility: 10 program spots from ~15 interviewees 9-month commitment starting August Active venture required; revenue not required History: Founded 2013. 150+ student founders, raised $150M+, 16+ exits. Sponsored by Melissa Bernstein '87 (co-founder of Melissa & Doug toys) and husband Doug.

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Duke University

Duke OTC & New Ventures

URL: https://otc.duke.edu/ https://otc.duke.edu/new-ventures/ https://numbers.otc.duke.edu/by-the-numbers-2/ Captured: 2026-06-27 Duke's tech transfer and startup creation office. FY25 Metrics: Total Revenue: $115.6M (record) Invention Disclosures: 362 U.S. Patent Applications: 387 Issued Patents: 113 Exclusive Licenses: 20 Total Agreements: 73 Gilhuly Accelerator Fund: $898K invested in 9 projects Active Startups: 125 New Startups Formed: 11 Capital Raised by Duke Startups (past 5 years): $2.4B+ IPOs (past 5 years): 5 Acquisitions (past 5 years): 14 59% of startups founded in past 5 years located in NC Digital Innovations: 116 disclosures, 7 exclusive licenses, $8.6M revenue OTC Programs: New Ventures: business advice, introductions to capital, executives, experts, occasionally direct capital Translational Funds: including Gilhuly Accelerator Fund Technology Marketing: 252 technologies shared with industry, 811 companies contacted, 53 inventor conversations set up, 9 agreements executed OTC Fellows: 24 students assessed 199 technologies New Venture Fellows: 10 paired with 9 potential startup projects

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