UndergradVCCampus startup funding, verified and compared
Sign in

Sponsorship

Featured partner placement

Sponsor Northwestern University once and your brand appears on the Northwestern University page and across every one of its programs and student-startup pages — not just this page.

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois·University

Visit official siteFind your best fit
Pitch competitionsIncubatorVenture fund

At a glance

Indexed programs

9

9 currently active

Top direct funding

No direct cash prizes indexed

Equity

Mixed equity terms

Program mix

8

Entrepreneurship Center · Technology Transfer Office · Accelerator

Research verdict

Research in progress.

Programs to explore

Compare funding, equity, and timing before you apply.

9 programs indexed

Known startups and winners

Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.

See every startup

DoseUp

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Competition winner

GLP-1 tracking app; Consumer Products & Services track winner at Northwestern VentureCat 2026.

EdgeLine

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Competition winner

Construction design review automation; Energy & Sustainability track winner at Northwestern VentureCat 2026.

FeedLogic

$5,000

prize won

Northwestern University · Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator

Competition winner

Manufacturing data analysis venture; $5,000 winner at Northwestern Jumpstart 2025.

HaptE

$100,000

prize won

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Grand prizeCompetition winner

Warehouse computer vision startup; $100,000 grand prize winner at Northwestern VentureCat 2026.

HydroFlo

$50,000

prize won

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Competition winner

Smart catheter for hydrocephalus; $50,000 winner at Northwestern VentureCat 2026.

nLab

3rd place

placement

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Competition winner

World's smallest electronics lab; 3rd place at Northwestern VentureCat 2025.

Nyck AI

$10,000

prize won

Northwestern University · Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator

Competition winner

AI purchasing workflow platform; $10,000 winner at Northwestern Jumpstart 2025 and $250K Honors Fund recipient.

Quarkle

$2,500

prize won

Northwestern University · Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator

Competition winner

AI editing assistant for fiction writers; $2,500 winner at Northwestern Jumpstart 2025.

SiNode Systems

Northwestern University · Farley Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

Notable alumni outcome

Advanced battery materials company; Northwestern NUvention spinout (now NanoGraf).

Symbia

Northwestern University · VentureCat

Competition winner

Carbon-neutral leather grown from kombucha; Social Impact track winner at Northwestern VentureCat 2026.

Historical winners (research notes)
  • HaptE — Warehouse computer vision ($100K VentureCat grand prize 2026)
  • HydroFlo — Smart catheter for hydrocephalus ($50K VentureCat 2026)
  • Nyck AI — AI purchasing workflow ($10K Jumpstart 2025, $250K Honors Fund)
  • nLab — World's smallest electronics lab (VentureCat 3rd 2025)
  • FeedLogic — Manufacturing data analysis ($5K Jumpstart 2025)
  • Quarkle — AI editing for fiction writers ($2.5K Jumpstart 2025)
  • Symbia — Carbon-neutral leather from kombucha (VentureCat 2026 Social Impact winner)
  • DoseUp — GLP-1 tracking app (VentureCat 2026 Consumer Products winner)
  • EdgeLine — Construction design review automation (VentureCat 2026 Energy winner)
  • SiNode Systems — Battery materials (NUvention spinout)

Northwestern University

Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, with approximately 22,000 students. Its entrepreneurship ecosystem is anchored by The Garage (student startup hub, 1,500+ startups, $1.5B+ raised), INVO (tech transfer, $12.3M licensing revenue), the Farley Center for Entrepreneurship (McCormick Engineering), and the Kellogg School of Management (Zell Fellows, $70K Social Entrepreneurship Award).

Ecosystem Overview

  • Student startup hub: The Garage (3,000+ students/year, 1,500+ startups, $1.5B+ raised)
  • Pitch competition: VentureCat ($175K+ non-dilutive, $100K grand prize)
  • Student venture fund: NUseeds ($4M fund, $100K per company)
  • Research incubator: Querrey InQbation Lab (wet labs, $186M raised by startups in FY2025)
  • Tech transfer: INVO (324 disclosures, $12.3M licensing, 34 startups over 3 years)
  • Faculty fund: N.XT Fund (up to $150K SAFE)
  • Pre-accelerator: Jumpstart (10-week summer, $10K stipend)
  • MBA ecosystem: Kellogg (Zell Fellows, $70K award, 50+ courses)
  • Experiential courses: NUvention (6 tracks)

Assessment

Recommendation: Include Tier: 1 Confidence: High Key Factors: The Garage (1,500+ startups/$1.5B+ raised), INVO (324 disclosures/$12.3M licensing), VentureCat ($175K+/$100K grand prize), NUseeds ($4M student fund), N.XT Fund (up to $150K SAFE), Querrey InQbation Lab (research incubator, $186M raised), Kellogg Zell Fellows/Social Entrepreneurship Award ($70K), Jumpstart Pre-Accelerator ($10K).

News & articles

7 news articles and official sources documenting entrepreneurship programs, winners, and activity at Northwestern University.

7 sources

Official sources(7)

This profile lists 9 programs for Northwestern University. Some details may be outdated until a director verifies them.

Claim & correct this page·Takes about 5 minutes — no payment required.