Orange Innovation Fund
About the program · 1 linked sources
University-wide competitive internal grant program administered by Syracuse University Libraries. Provides proof-of-concept funding to move student research and entrepreneurial projects from ideation to commercialization. Supports prototype development, market validation, and early commercialization milestones.
Funded by a gift from Raj-Ann Rekhi Gill '98 (Board of Trustees member, operating partner at Silicon Valley Quad): $50,000 per academic year over five years ($250K total). Individual grants up to $5,000 per award. Two cycles per year (fall/spring). Recipients required to participate in an annual Demo Day.
Also known as: OIF
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
$5,000
Non Dilutive Grant
Equity
None
Application
Semiannual
Campus Wide
Last activity
2026-02-27
High confidence
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Reminders
Orange Innovation Fund
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Student experiences · Read or add a note
Student notes
Orange Innovation Fund
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Application and Timing
Two cycles per year: fall (September-October) and spring (January-February). Fall 2025: applications due October 10, 2025. Spring 2026: applications open January 26 through February 27, 2026.
Participants
Graduate and undergraduate students from all academic disciplines. Projects must be past idea stage with a clear product development roadmap.
Funding and Equity
Up to $5,000 per grant, non-dilutive. Merit/milestone-based. Deliverables due within six months. Teams may apply for successive awards for different milestones.
Recent Activity
- Fall 2024: 7 projects funded.
- 2025: 7 grants awarded (Phloat, PapeX among recipients).
- Fall 2025: 6 ventures awarded (WingStat, Miirror, MacroFlow, The OtherGlasses among others).
- Spring 2026: applications opened Jan 26 - Feb 27.
Known startups and winners
Competition winners and notable student ventures from our research.
MacroFlow
Syracuse University
2025 Orange Innovation Fund fall recipient; Excel automation.
PapeX
Syracuse University
2025 Orange Innovation Fund recipient; paper receipt platform.
Phloat
Syracuse University
2025 Orange Innovation Fund recipient; smartphone flotation device.
WingStat
Syracuse University
2025 Orange Innovation Fund fall recipient; aircraft data SaaS.
Historical winners (research notes)
- Phloat (Nathan Brekke '26, Joshua Varkey '26) — Inflatable smartphone flotation device. Originated at Invent@SU summer 2024.
- PapeX (Nicolas Courbage '26, Whitman) — Paper receipt elimination platform.
- WingStat (Jack Venerus '27, iSchool) — SaaS for aircraft sales data.
- Miirror (Haley Greene '26, Newhouse) — Eating-disorder recovery platform.
- MacroFlow (Ronan Hussar '26, Whitman) — Natural-language Excel automation.
- The OtherGlasses (Jacob Kaplan '28, iSchool) — Adaptive liquid-crystal eyewear.
Research gaps & things to verify
Verification Gaps
- Full list of all grant recipients across all cycles.
- Commercial outcomes of funded projects (products launched, funding raised).
- Total number of applicants per cycle.
Program details
Orange Innovation Fund
Additional research notesShow
Evidence
- 2026-06-23-syracuse-orange-innovation-fund
- Syracuse University Entrepreneurship Research Report
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting Orange Innovation Fund at Syracuse University.
1 source
Orange Innovation Fund Official Pages
Syracuse University Libraries
Syracuse University Libraries
Orange Innovation Fund Official Pages
Two captures: official program page (terms, $50K/yr, $5K grants, eligibility) and Fall 2025 awardees article (6 ventures, named recipients).
Read on Syracuse University Libraries