October 18-20 | Tucson, AZ

The Research Institution GAP Fund and Accelerator Program Summit

WPI gets $3M gift for innovation and commercialization

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October 16-17, 2025 / Seattle, WA

The annual summit for research institution gap fund and accelerator programs, including proof of concept programs, startup accelerators, and university venture funds

The Story

WORCESTER—Worcester Polytechnic Institute has received a $3 million gift from alumnus Paul Covec ’64 to support innovation, entrepreneurship and commercialization efforts led by faculty and students, the university announced.

The gift establishes the Paul A. Covec ’64 Innovation and Commercialization Fund, an endowed resource designed to help promising ideas move from concept to marketplace. The fund supports patent research, prototyping, market analysis, and technology licensing, and is part of WPI’s ongoing “Beyond These Towers” fundraising campaign, the most ambitious in the university’s history.

 

Full story: WPI gets $3M gift for innovation