February 2023 Newsletter 

Tufts $100k New Ventures Competition - Accepting Applications through Feb 28th!

The $100k New Ventures Competition is the flagship venture competition at Tufts. We welcome applicants across the Tufts community: Undergraduate and graduate students, recent alumni, faculty and staff across all 11 schools and colleges at Tufts.

Eligible applicants can also chose to apply to Ricci Prize and Friedman Prize by indicating their eligibility within the application.

The competition culminates in live pitch competitions at the virtual semi-finals and finals. New for 2023, we will be hosting live watch parties for each track in the Joyce Cummings Center, 3rd floor. 

To help teams prepare, we offer online pitching resources, 1x1 coaching, and application clinics. You can also watch winning pitches from 2022 for reference.

Entrepreneurial Internship Program 

The Entrepreneurial Internship Program connects students with summer jobs in entrepreneurial settings. For new ventures who have not raised significant funding or generated significant revenue, who are not able to pay their interns, we offer a limited number of Internship Grants through the career office that pays $4,500 per student for a 10-week summer internship.

Entrepreneurial Initiative Fund 

The Tufts Entrepreneurial Initiative Fund provides modest levels of funding to individual students, student teams or student clubs to support their entrepreneurial initiatives. Eligible funding requests are in the $100-$1000 range. 

Cross University Student Innovator (CUSI) Mixer @ Harvard ILab!

Friday, Feb 24th 5:30pm-7:30pm

The CUSI Mixer is a multi-school collaboration between 20+ colleagues and universities, and the list continues to grow. Schools include MIT, Harvard, Tufts, Babson, Boston University, UMass Lowell, and many more. This event is your chance to connect with other innovators, potential co-founders, or founding team members from other schools. 

Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Update

Building an entrepreneurial  ecosystem on campus

Cross-pollination is the name of the game! DEC hosted / sponsored four (4) in-person events in February: a pizza open house where undergraduate and graduate students met and chatted about their entrepreneurial interests; a "Meet your Professor" mixer with faculty from Tufts Gordon Institute and DEC; the First Year Engineering Challenge in which a student group used a DEC tumbler as a mechanical component; and finally, the Burger Bar Happy Hour where students noshed on sliders while learning about the four minors and three masters programs at TGI and DEC. 

We are continually adding opportunities for students to connect and learn from each other. Bookmark our Events page and join us soon!

Building an innovation ecosystem across universities in Boston

The universities and ecosystem builders in the Greater Boston area have been hard at work creating opportunities for student innovators to meet, mingle and talk shop.

In February, Derby Entrepreneurship Center brought Tufts students to two successful events: Silicon Valley Bank's Boston Hub Day (Feb 3) and  Boston University's annual IDEACon (Feb 11) where we ran four workshops, interacting with over 100 students from multiple universities.

Each of these events brought together students, alumni, and innovators and entrepreneurs across the vibrant Greater Boston innovation ecosystem. Join us for our CUSI event on Feb 24 and let's continue the conversation!

Upcoming Events at a Glance

Community Events and Opportunities

MIT VMS Venture Mentoring Service • Feb 23

Join two inspiring founders with a passion to help build a better world as they share their journeys towards impact and success – offering real world, real time insights on getting started, the power of networking, building teams, and raising funds for their ventures. Learn More Here

Mass Robotics Form and Function Robotics Challenge

This challenge calls for universiy teams to creat a robotics or automation project that delivers a compelling form factor specific to its tasks while acccomplishing a useful function. It encourages cross-collaboration between software and hardware providers. Learn More Here

RICE Business Plan • Applications close Feb 28

This graduate level student startup competition is designed to give collegiate entrepreneurs the opportunity to present their startups to investors, receive mentoring, network within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, enhance their business strategy, and learn what it takes to launch a successful company. Learn More Here

Cleantech Open Northeast, NECEC  • Applications for 2023 cohort open

This is the northeast region of the Cleantech Open, a national accelerator for early-stage (pre-seed, pre-revenue) cleantech, climatetech, and sustainability startups. It provides expert mentoring, introductions to investors, professional coaching and connections, and the opportunity to win cash prizes.  Learn More Here

Massachusetts Digital Health Sandbox Challenge Program • Application deadline Feb 24

The Healthy Aging Challenge is aimed at finding unique digital health solutions that improve the lives of older adults and help them remain active, productive, independent, and socially connected.  Learn More Here

2023 launchU Competition • Applications open

launchU is a ‘shark tank’ style start-up pitch challenge for undergraduates and high school students. The best 7 ideas are selected and with the guidance of mentors, the finalists work over five weeks to complete an Investment Summary and a Pitch Presentation to a panel of Judges comprised of entrepreneurs, and investors. Learn More Here

Global Health Innovation Challenge (GHIC)

This challenge will increase availability and access to capital for new and existing private companies, which are developing solutions for global health, mental health, and sustainability. 

Learn more and register

HAX TECH SHARE

This monthly event is led by HAX investment partners and founders focused on relevant knowledge for hard tech entrepreneurs. It cover lessons and best practices across a different technical topic each month. 

Learn more and register

Support the Derby Entrepreneurship Center!

Help us build and grow the next generation of Tufts innovators and entrepreneurs through a tax-deductible donation!

Derby Entrepreneurship Center