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Entrepreneurship CenterDirect fundingNo equityVerified

Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship

Also known as: Severino Center

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute · Troy, NY

The Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship is RPI's central entrepreneurship hub, guiding innovators from idea to implementation. It administers the Catalyst Fund suite (Starter Funds, MVP Funds, Bridge Seed Funds, Faculty Translation Grants, Founder Fellowships, Faculty Sabbatical Awards, and Apex Awards), runs multiple pitch competitions (Business Model Competition, Change the World Challenge, Bala Innovation Prize), coordinates NSF I-Corps, and maintains the Entrepreneurship Minor. The Center underwent significant expansion in 2025-2026 under new director Eric Ledet (appointed July 2024).

See every program at Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteFind your best fit

Quick fit check

  • Offers direct funding
  • No equity required
  • Currently active
  • Verified by research

Key numbers

Funding range

$5,000 – $100,000

Grant, Fellowship, Award

Equity

None

Application

Rolling

Campus Wide

Last activity

2026-04-07

High confidence

Application and Timing

Rolling applications for most programs. Catalyst Incubator runs on a 10-week bootcamp cycle. Competitions follow annual spring cycles.

Participants

RPI students (all disciplines), faculty, staff, and alumni founders. The Catalyst Incubator bootcamp and I-Corps are also open to the broader Capital Region community.

Funding and Equity

The Center administers multiple non-dilutive funding instruments:

  • Catalyst Starter Funds: $5,000 awards for Catalyst Incubator graduates.
  • Catalyst MVP Funds: Up to $25,000 for hard tech prototypes.
  • Bridge Seed Funds: Up to $100,000 for pre-production startups (commenced Fall 2025).
  • Faculty Translation Grants: Up to $100,000 for commercializing academic research.
  • Founder Fellowships: Summer stipend for student founders (commenced Spring 2025).
  • Faculty Sabbatical Awards: Salary supplement up to 12 months (commenced Fall 2025).
  • Ajit Prabhu Catalyst Fund Apex Awards: $75,000 total across three categories (inaugural 2026).

No equity taken for standard competitions and grants. Bridge Seed Funds may involve investment-dependent terms.

Recent Activity

  • April 2026: Inaugural Apex Awards announced (51 applicants, $75K total).
  • April 2026: Innovator Network Inaugural Event with Bala Innovation Prize.
  • 2025-2026: Catalyst programs launched.
  • July 2024: Eric Ledet appointed director.
  • The Center is building toward a proposed expanded startup ecosystem including a Catalyst Fund.

Known startups and winners

Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.

See every startup

StarStack

$15,000

prize won

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Competition winner

3D printer STEM kit venture. 2026 RPI Apex Award winner ($15K). Founded by Sam Kudarauskas '28 and Liam Gavin '26.

Historical winners (research notes)
  • StarStack (3D printer STEM kit) — Tough Tech MVP Award $15K (2026)
  • HARMONIC-IR (OntoAgentic AI) — Faculty Translation Grant $30K (2026)
  • Talinted (gene editing) — Catalyst Pre-Seed Award $30K (2026)

Verification Gaps

  • Exact total size of the Catalyst Fund is not publicly specified.
  • Whether Bridge Seed Funds have been deployed (commenced Fall 2025).
  • Number of Founder Fellowships awarded to date.
  • Current Entrepreneurship Minor enrollment.

Severino Center for Technological Entrepreneurship

Additional research notesShow