KickStart Venture Services
About the program · 1 linked sources
KickStart Venture Services, founded in 2008, supports UNC research-based startup formation and growth through education, early-stage funding, and on-campus accelerator space. Part of Innovate Carolina's New Ventures and Partnerships.
Also known as: KickStart
How we know this: the figures on this page come from the linked sources (last verified 2026-06-26); what those sources do not state is left unknown.
Key numbers
Funding range
Not listed
Equity
None
Application
Quarterly
Institution Wide
Last activity
2026-06-26
High confidence
Keep this on your radar Deadline reminders ↓
Reminders
KickStart Venture Services
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
KickStart Venture Services
No posts yet.
Program details
Key Details
- Founded: 2008
- Director: Mireya McKee
- Commercialization Awards: $2M+ awarded to 60+ companies
- Award size: Up to $50K per company, quarterly application cycles
- KickStart Accelerator Laboratory: 7,500 sq ft in Genome Sciences Building (opened January 2020). Fully equipped wet labs, shared instrumentation, hot-desk seating
Services
- Learn: Customer discovery programs, startup bootcamps
- Assess: Business case creation, market landscape assessment
- Formation: Company setup guidance, Carolina Express License
- Fund: Grant writing support, SBIR/STTR assistance
- Grow: Advisory meetings, entrepreneurial mentors, incubation space
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence
- Pepper Landson, Tim Hopper, Diane Ignar
News & articles
News articles and official sources documenting KickStart Venture Services at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
1 source
KickStart Venture Services
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
KickStart Venture Services
Source: https://innovate.unc.edu/startup-accelerators-and-venture-services/kickstart-venture-services/ Captured: 2026-06-26 KickStart Venture Services — Research-Based Startup Formation Key details: Founded 2008, supports research-based startup formation Provides education, early-stage funding, accelerator space KickStart Commercialization Grant Awards: $2M+ to 60+ companies KickStart Accelerator Laboratory: 7,500 sq ft in Genome Sciences Building (opened Jan 2020) Fully equipped wet labs, shared instrumentation, hot-desk seating KickStart Awards up to $50K per company, quarterly application cycles Director: Mireya McKee Team includes: Judy Prasad (associate director), Jeff Speakman (operations manager), Entrepreneurs-in-Residence Pepper Landson, Tim Hopper, Diane Ignar
Read on University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill