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

University of Texas at Dallas logo

University of Texas at Dallas

Richardson, Texas·University

Visit official siteFind your best fit
Pitch competitionsIncubatorVenture fund

At a glance

Indexed programs

7

7 currently active

Top direct funding

No direct cash prizes indexed

Equity

Mixed equity terms

Program mix

7

Training Program · Accelerator · Pitch Competition

Research verdict

Research in progress.

Programs to explore

Compare funding, equity, and timing before you apply.

7 programs indexed

Known startups and winners

Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.

See every startup

Cosmunity

University of Texas at Dallas · UT Dallas Seed Fund

Program portfolio

Comic Con community app; UT Dallas Seed Fund portfolio; 10,000+ early users.

Helio-Ops

Finalist

placement

University of Texas at Dallas · Draper Pitch Competition

Competition winner

Draper Pitch Competition 2026 finalist.

Medceptor

Finalist

placement

University of Texas at Dallas · Draper Pitch Competition

Competition winner

Draper Pitch Competition 2026 finalist.

MusiQ Bio

$50,000

prize won

University of Texas at Dallas · Draper Pitch Competition

1st placeCompetition winner

Drug delivery to brain; Draper Pitch 2026 alumni winner ($50K).

NanoPaws Therapeutics

Finalist

placement

University of Texas at Dallas · Draper Pitch Competition

Competition winner

Draper Pitch Competition 2026 finalist.

Pi

University of Texas at Dallas · CometX Summer Accelerator

Notable alumni outcome

Marketing technology; CometX alumni; acquired by Merkle.

PoolControl.ai

Finalist

placement

University of Texas at Dallas · Draper Pitch Competition

Competition winner

Draper Pitch Competition 2026 finalist.

RadMap Robotics

$50,000

prize won

University of Texas at Dallas · Draper Pitch Competition

1st placeCompetition winner

3D radioactive contamination mapping; Draper Pitch 2026 graduate winner ($50K).

SalesPilot

$50,000

prize won

University of Texas at Dallas · Draper Pitch Competition

1st placeCompetition winner

AI sales tools; Draper Pitch Competition 2026 undergraduate winner ($50K).

ShearShare

University of Texas at Dallas · UT Dallas Seed Fund

Notable alumni outcome

Salon chair rental marketplace; UT Dallas Seed Fund portfolio; 325+ cities; Tech.co Startup of the Year.

The University of Texas at Dallas is a public research university in Richardson, Texas (Dallas metroplex), with approximately 30,000 students. Its entrepreneurship ecosystem is anchored by the **Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE)** at the Naveen Jindal School of Management — the central hub since 2006 coordinating venture support, competitions, and research commercialization with the Office of Research and Innovation. UT Dallas uniquely **administers the Blackstone LaunchPad Texas Network** (10 UT System campuses), operates the **Venture Development Center** incubator with a Richardson Innovation Quarter extension, runs the **CometX** summer accelerator and **Draper Pitch Competition** ($350K prize pool in 2026), and deploys capital through the student-analyst **UT Dallas Seed Fund**.

Ecosystem Overview

  • Central hub: Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Steve Guengerich, Executive Director) at Naveen Jindal School of Management since 2006
  • Blackstone LaunchPad: Texas site since 2016; statewide network administrator for 10 UT System schools ($5M grant); Bryan Chambers campus director
  • Pitch competition: Draper Pitch Competition (formerly Big Idea) — $350K pool, three tracks, Draper Foundation / Tim Draper sponsor; 2026 record $330K awarded
  • Accelerator: CometX — free six-week summer program, HBS Foundry AI partnership, pitch week finale
  • Incubator: Venture Development Center — office/lab space, below-market rates; IQ extension at Richardson Innovation Quarter
  • Venture fund: UT Dallas Seed Fund — evergreen, $10K–$100K, student venture analyst course (ENTP 4398/6377)
  • Tech transfer: Office of Technology Commercialization — invention disclosures, patenting, licensing, startup pathways
  • Academic: MS in Innovation and Entrepreneurship; undergraduate minor and concentration
  • Recognition: Hosted GCEC 2023 conference; historical Princeton Review #22 ranking; JSOM EDGE Award (Richardson Chamber)

Known Startups

  • ShearShare — Salon chair rental marketplace; Seed Fund portfolio; UTD alumna Courtney Caldwell; 325+ cities; Tech.co Startup of the Year
  • Cosmunity — Comic Con community app; Seed Fund portfolio; UTD student founders; 10,000+ early users
  • Pi — Marketing technology; CometX alumni; acquired by Merkle
  • SalesPilot — AI sales tools; Draper Pitch 2026 undergraduate winner ($50K)
  • RadMap Robotics — 3D radioactive contamination mapping; Draper Pitch 2026 graduate winner ($50K)
  • MusiQ Bio — Drug delivery to brain; Draper Pitch 2026 alumni winner ($50K)
  • Medceptor, PoolControl.ai, Helio-Ops, NanoPaws Therapeutics — Draper Pitch 2026 finalists

Assessment

Recommendation: Include
Tier: 2
Confidence: Medium-High
Key Factors: Well-structured developing ecosystem with distinctive Blackstone LaunchPad Texas Network administrator role (10 UT System campuses), central IIE hub since 2006, major Draper Foundation pitch competition ($350K pool), on-campus incubator with Richardson IQ extension, evergreen seed fund with student analyst model, summer accelerator (CometX), and faculty tech transfer (OTC). Strong non-dilutive and equity funding pathways but lacks Tier 1 assets like a decades-old deep-tech incubator or billion-dollar alumni raise track record comparable to UT Austin, Rice, or Texas A&M. Appropriate Tier 2 alongside SMU and TCU in the Texas batch.

News & articles

8 news articles and official sources documenting entrepreneurship programs, winners, and activity at University of Texas at Dallas.

8 sources

Official sources(7)

This profile lists 7 programs for University of Texas at Dallas. Some details may be outdated until a director verifies them.

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