Momentum Fund
About the program · 1 linked sources
The Momentum Fund is a philanthropic evergreen investment fund providing early capital ($50K-$100K) to Penn State technology-based startups. Helps bridge the gap from lab discovery to market. Managed by the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization. Director: Steve Carpenter. Founding gift from Dr. Richard Gottscho.
Also known as: Penn State Momentum Fund
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
$100,000
Investment
Equity
Varies by investment
Application
Rolling
System Wide
Last activity
2026-06-24
High confidence
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Reminders
Momentum Fund
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
Momentum Fund
No posts yet.
Application and Timing
Rolling. Apply via Google form on Momentum Fund site. Contact Steve Carpenter (sbc135@psu.edu).
Participants
Penn State faculty, researchers, and startup companies formed around Penn State intellectual property. Must have: legal entity, fully executed Penn State IP license/option, proof of concept, I-Corps or equivalent customer discovery, and potential for follow-on investment.
Funding and Equity
$50K-$100K per startup. Evergreen model — returns reinvested. Investment structure (equity vs. convertible) not specified on public site.
Recent Activity
- 2026: Fund launched with founding gift from Dr. Richard Gottscho.
- 2026: Additional supporters include Laurence and Mary Shenk Thorwart.
Known Startups or Winners
No funded startups publicly listed yet (new fund).
Research gaps & things to verify
Verification Gaps
- First cohort of funded startups not yet public.
- Exact investment instrument (equity vs. convertible note) not specified.
- Total fund size not disclosed.
Additional research notesShow
Evidence
- Momentum Fund official site with criteria, investment range, and evergreen model.[1]
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting Momentum Fund at Pennsylvania State University.
1 source
