University Gap Funding and Accelerator Community News

New Jersey is putting new money behind artificial intelligence startups and launching a $20 million investment fund designed to give early-stage companies access to capital, mentorship and business support to grow in the Garden State. The New Jersey Economic Development Authority, in partnership with AI infrastructure company CoreWeave, announced the

European venture capital firm U2V (University2Ventures) has announced the first closing of its €60 million Fund I. With this fund, the spin-off from Earlybird-X aims to back early-stage DeepTech startups from European tech universities. It will invest in pre-Seed and Seed-stage startups across Europe, focusing on AI novel computing, IndustrialTech and CleanTech,

Portland State University joins a coalition of Oregon’s top innovation and academic institutions in the launch of Oregon AI Accelerator, a first-of-its-kind statewide initiative designed to support early-stage founders building transformative, AI-first companies. Backed by seed funding from Google, and supported by the Metro Regional Innovation Hub, PSU, Oregon Health

The University of California, Davis, has awarded $100,000 through the autumn 2025 cohort of the Science Translation and Innovative Research, or STAIR, Grant Program to help scientists advance innovative research with strong commercial potential. Awardees of the autumn STAIR grant are Abhaya M. Dandekar, distinguished professor in the Department of Plant

The Foundry is looking for motivated entrepreneurs to build startups based on technologies from a curated portfolio of U-M innovations. Those who successfully complete the program may pitch ventures to a panel of experts for a chance to launch their startup and secure seed funding.* Selected entrepreneurs will be matched

The vision of the HSG START Accelerator is to build a pan-Alpine bridge between technological excellence and entrepreneurial implementation. The programme specifically prepares European tech start-ups in the early growth phase for scaling and access to capital and markets. ‘Our mission is to accompany the next generation of European tech champions,’ said

Cincinnati entrepreneurs unveiled breakthrough technologies aimed at rewriting how patients are diagnosed, treated and protected. Hosted at the University of Cincinnati’s 1819 Innovation Hub, the event highlighted an accelerator program that has quickly become a cornerstone of the region’s health and life sciences ecosystem. From concussion-prevention gear to more precise radiation-therapy

The Whitman School of Management has launched the Orange Business Angel Network (OBAN), a groundbreaking student-led experiential learning program that will provide hands-on startup investment experience for students while connecting University-affiliated entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship. The program will begin in spring 2026 with an inaugural class of approximately 15 exceptional

Worth a listen. The Trump administration has been clear on wanting deep cuts in federal funding for research at American universities, including cutting money for basic research by more than a third. In response, some universities are working harder to turn research into money-making startup companies. w/ Rick Huebsch, AVP, OTC, UMN https://www.marketplace.org/story/2025/12/03/could-investing-in-startups-help-universities-make-money