Penn Wharton Innovation Fund
About the program · 1 linked sources
The Penn Wharton Innovation Fund, run through penn-venture-lab, awards early-stage funding to ventures founded and led by enrolled Penn students. The page says Alberto Vitale WG’59 endowed the fund. A student Investment Team from across Penn’s schools reviews applications. This listing is compiled from the public fund page and is not a school-claimed profile.
Also known as: Innovation Fund
How we know this: the figures on this page come from the linked sources (last verified 2026-10-08); what those sources do not state is left unknown.
Key numbers
Funding range
$5,000
Grant
Equity
Unknown
Application
Quarterly
Campus Wide
Last activity
2026-10-08
High confidence
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Reminders
Penn Wharton Innovation Fund
Get an email before a director-verified deadline for this program, this school, or this state. The program never sees your address.
Penn Wharton Innovation Fund · Nov 1, 2026 · Unverified
Student experiences · Read or add a note
Student notes
Penn Wharton Innovation Fund
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Application and Timing
Four cycles are listed for 2026–2027. As of the 2026-10-08 capture, Cycle 1 had closed on October 4, 2026. Cycle 2 closes November 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET, with notice on December 9, 2026. Later deadlines are January 24, 2027, and March 14, 2027.
Participants
Currently enrolled students in a Penn bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral program. One award type per venture per cycle. The page says the awards are not for small or services businesses, investment funds, holding companies, acquisition searches, real estate, or nonprofits without a revenue model.
Funding and Equity
Three award levels are published: a $1,000 Design Award (research done; prototype not required), a $2,000 Build Award (something tangible to test), and a $5,000 Boost Award (only after a prior Build Award, or an Implementation Award from before 2025–2026). A venture that receives Boost cannot receive another Innovation Fund award. The page does not describe an equity instrument. The student team makes the funding decision; the page describes awards and itemized budgets, not priced equity rounds.
Recent Activity
The 2026–2027 cycle table was published on the live fund page at capture. Cycle 1’s notification date is listed as October 28, 2026.
Known Startups or Winners
The captured page does not name current award recipients. It quotes Avisi Technologies’ student-era experience with Wharton Entrepreneurship, which is not stated as an Innovation Fund award.
Research gaps & things to verify
Verification Gaps
Equity is not discussed. Recipient names for 2026–2027 are not on the page. funding_min and funding_max are the smallest and largest named award levels, not a grant every applicant receives.
Program details
Penn Wharton Innovation Fund
Additional research notesShow
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting Penn Wharton Innovation Fund at University of Pennsylvania.
1 source
Penn Wharton Innovation Fund
University of Pennsylvania Venture Lab
University of Pennsylvania Venture Lab
Penn Wharton Innovation Fund
Official Innovation Fund page. Student reviewers award $1,000 Design, $2,000 Build, and $5,000 Boost grants to enrolled Penn founders. Four cycles are listed for 2026–2027, including a November 1, 2026 deadline.
Read on University of Pennsylvania Venture Lab