Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
About the program · 1 linked sources
University-wide entrepreneurship hub located in Carol Simon Hall, River Campus. Led by Vice Provost Dr. Duncan Moore. Coordinates all entrepreneurship programming including the Ain Foundry Program, Mark Ain Business Model Competition ($13.5K), Forbes Pitch Competition ($6K/$3K/$1.5K), e5 Program (tuition-free fifth year), student incubator at NextCorps, and the Master of Science in Technical Entrepreneurship and Management (TEAM). Also hosts the Finger Lakes regional for the NY Business Plan Competition.
Also known as: Ain Center
How we know this: the figures on this page come from the linked sources (last verified 2026-06-23); what those sources do not state is left unknown.
Key numbers
Funding range
$0
In Kind, Cash Prize
Equity
None
Application
Rolling
Campus Wide
Last activity
2026-06-23
High confidence
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Reminders
Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
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Student experiences · Read or add a note
Student notes
Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
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Application and Timing
Rolling engagement via center. Specific deadlines for competitions (fall: Mark Ain; spring: Forbes) and e5 (fall/spring cycles).
Participants
Undergraduate and graduate students across College, Hajim, Simon, Eastman; faculty and staff innovators.
Funding and Equity
Indirect — coordinates access to competition prizes and incubator resources. Competitions award non-dilutive cash prizes. No equity taken.
Recent Activity
- 2025-2026: Active competition cycles (Forbes 2026 winners, Mark Ain 2025 winners).
- 2025: e5 Program updated webpage; continuous cohorts.
- 2024: NYBPC Finger Lakes regional hosted.
- Ongoing: Student incubator at NextCorps with Final Pitch Night (Mar 2026).
Known Startups or Winners
See program notes for rochester-mark-ain-competition and rochester-forbes-competition.
Research gaps & things to verify
Verification Gaps
- Ain Center operating budget and staff count.
- TEAM Master's enrollment numbers.
- Complete list of Ain Foundry Program participants.
Program details
Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Additional research notesShow
Evidence
- 2026-06-23-rochester-ain-center
- University of Rochester Entrepreneurship Research Report
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at University of Rochester.
1 source
Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Official Pages
University of Rochester
University of Rochester
Ain Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Official Pages
Five captures: Ain Center home page, Forbes Competition page (2026 winners, prizes, schedule), Mark Ain Competition page ($13.5K, 2025 winners, revenue restriction), e5 Program page (tuition-free fifth year), and Ain Center student incubator at NextCorps.
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