Cornell Tech Runway Startup Postdoc Program

Official Runway page and supporting articles. Runway is a 12-24 month deep-tech incubator for recent PhDs, based at the Jacobs Technion-Cornell Institute. Package valued at $175K year 1 + $150K year 2. Takes equity via SAFE ($175K at $3M cap, $150K at $4.7M cap).

• $175K year 1 ($80K salary, $20K research budget, $25K IP, $50K benefits/space).
• $150K year 2 (slightly lower housing allocation).
• SAFE investment: $175K at $3M cap year 1, $150K at $4.7M cap year 2.
• 120+ companies launched, $1B+ combined valuation, 700+ NYC jobs.
• Open to recent PhDs (within 5 years) in digital technology fields.
• Applications Oct 15 - Feb 1 for September start.
• Notable startups: Nanit ($14M Series B), Imprint ($15M raised), OnsiteIQ, Biotia.

• Metrics vary by reporting date (120+ as of Sep 2025, $1B valuation).
• Job count has grown from 500 to 700+ between mid-2025 and late-2025.

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