Invent Penn State
About the program · 1 linked sources
Invent Penn State is a $30 million university-wide initiative launched to integrate entrepreneurship and innovation into Penn State's land-grant mission. It coordinates the full entrepreneurship stack: student competitions (Inc.U $30K), LaunchBox & Innovation Network (24 hubs), Summer Founders Program ($15K grants), NSF I-Corps, Startup Leadership Network, Alumni Entrepreneurs Network, Brand Academy, Startup Week, Venture & IP Conference, and more. Under the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization (OEC).
Also known as: IPS
How we know this: the figures on this page come from the linked sources (last verified 2026-06-24); what those sources do not state is left unknown.
Key numbers
Funding range
$15,000
Grant
Equity
None
Application
Varies
System Wide
Last activity
2026-06-24
High confidence
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Reminders
Invent Penn State
Get an email before a director-verified deadline for this program, this school, or this state. The program never sees your address.
Student experiences · Read or add a note
Student notes
Invent Penn State
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Application and Timing
Varies by subprogram. Inc.U applications open January, due January 18. Summer Founders applications open February, due March 2. Nittany AI Challenge kickoff September. LaunchBox cohorts on rolling site-specific schedules.
Participants
Open to all Penn State students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community entrepreneurs across all campuses and surrounding communities.
Funding and Equity
Funding flows through subprograms: Inc.U Competition ($30K pool, $15K top prize), Summer Founders ($15K equity-free grants), Nittany AI Challenge ($33.5K+ pool), and LaunchBox accelerator stipends. No equity taken in any student-facing program.
Recent Activity
- 2026: Inc.U Competition winners announced (SlammedU $15K, Now You Know $10K, The Eleventh Round $5K).
- 2026: Summer Founders Program teams selected (FitLifeAI, Now You Know, Vayla, Whirl Pong).
- 2026: Nittany AI Challenge awarded $33.5K+ across 15+ teams.
- 2026: Momentum Fund launched with $50K-$100K investments.
- FY 2023-24: Network supported 1,356 entrepreneurs, 3,274 students.
- 2024: Global Entrepreneurship Week across PA campuses.
Known Startups or Winners
- 2026 Inc.U: SlammedU ($15K), Now You Know ($10K), The Eleventh Round ($5K), Pillar Cabins ($1K Spark).
- 2026 Nittany AI: CrashAI ($5.5K + $3.5K + $3.5K awards).
- 2026 Summer Founders: FitLifeAI, Now You Know, Vayla, Whirl Pong.
Research gaps & things to verify
Verification Gaps
- Complete startup portfolio and spinout list not consolidated here.
- Year-over-year metrics for each subprogram not centralized.
- Total economic impact data beyond FY 2023-24 not captured.
Additional research notesShow
Evidence
- Invent Penn State official site documenting programs and $30M initiative.[1]
- Research report consolidating all program findings.[2]
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting Invent Penn State at Pennsylvania State University.
1 source
