eLab Student Accelerator
About the program · 2 linked sources
eLab is Cornell University's flagship student startup accelerator, established in 2008 by the Student Agencies Foundation and Entrepreneurship at Cornell. It is a credit-bearing program offered through the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business. Each year, ~33 teams are accepted in the fall, with ~15 advancing to the spring semester after rigorous evaluation. Top-performing teams receive a $5,000 investment and continued mentorship. As of 2025, the program welcomed its 17th cohort.
Also known as: eLab, Cornell eLab
How we know this: the figures on this page come from the linked sources (last verified 2026-06-22); what those sources do not state is left unknown.
Key numbers
Funding range
$5,000
Grant
Equity
None
Application
Annual
Campus Wide
Last activity
2026-04-09
High confidence
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Reminders
eLab Student Accelerator
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Student experiences · Read or add a note
Student notes
eLab Student Accelerator
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Application and Timing
Applications close August 30 annually for the fall-start cohort. 17th cohort: 2025-2026 academic year.
Participants
Open to Cornell Ithaca campus students: juniors, seniors, graduate students, and PhD candidates. Prerequisites include entrepreneurship courses (NBA 3000, NBA 5640, or equivalents). Competitive application with 5-minute pitch and interview.
Funding and Equity
Top-performing spring teams receive a $5,000 non-dilutive investment into their incorporated business. No equity taken. Alumni startups have raised additional follow-on funding (SimpliFed $10M Series A, StaffOnTap $125K+ non-dilutive, Chamak $100K).
Recent Activity
Fall 2025: record 33 teams accepted. Spring 2026: 15 teams advanced. eLab Demo Day: April 9, 2026. Applications open for 2026-27 cohort (closes Aug 30, 2026). New program director: Gregory Ray, PhD '14.
Known startups and winners
Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.
Antithesis
Cornell University
Legume-based snack company; Cornell eLab alum with $1M NSF support.
Chamak
$100,000
prize won
Cornell University
Trade finance startup; Cornell eLab alum backed by $100K accelerator funding.
FloraPulse
Cornell University
Plant monitoring agtech; Cornell eLab alum with SBIR/NSF funding.
SimpliFed
Cornell University
Maternal health startup; Cornell eLab alum with $10M Series A.
StaffOnTap
$125,000
prize won
Cornell University
Nurse staffing platform; Cornell eLab alum with $125K+ in non-dilutive funding.
Research gaps & things to verify
Verification Gaps
- Exact number of teams receiving $5K investment each year not specified.
- Aggregate funding raised by all eLab alumni not centrally tracked.
- Selection rate: 33 accepted from how many applicants?
Program details
eLab Student Accelerator
Programming
- Fall: NBA 6230 — Actualizing Your Startup I (1.5 credits). Bootcamps, customer discovery, mentor meetings, NYC pitch event.
- Spring: NBA 6330 — Actualizing Your Startup II (3 credits). Weekly lectures, bootcamps, Silicon Valley trek, Demo Day.
- 40+ alumni mentors on advisory board.
- Annual NYC pitch event (Cornell Entrepreneurship Showcase) and San Francisco trek (Cornell Silicon Valley).
Additional research notesShow
Evidence
- 2026-06-22-cornell-elab
- 2026-06-22-cornell-eship-home
- Cornell University Startup Intelligence Report
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting eLab Student Accelerator at Cornell University.
2 sources
Cornell University
eLab Student Accelerator Page
Official eLab program page and supporting news articles. eLab is a credit-bearing student accelerator established in 2008. Fall teams narrowed to ~15 in spring. Top teams receive $5K investment. 17th cohort in 2025. Program director Greg Ray.
Read on Cornell University
Cornell University
Entrepreneurship at Cornell Homepage
Official Entrepreneurship at Cornell (EaC) homepage. Umbrella program coordinating Cornell's entrepreneurship ecosystem. Links to eLab, events, student startups, Kessler Fellows, and the broader ecosystem.
Read on Cornell University