New Venture Creation & Entrepreneurship

The Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) at Caltech support founders interested in startup creation from ideation to launch.

The Caltech EIRs meet founders where they are and help accelerate their journey along their startup path as they define the best way to commercialize Caltech technology. It all starts with a meeting with one or both of the EIRs to discuss an idea or invention and its potential applications. Founders can check-in for advice or support at a frequency that meets their needs or interact intensively with the EIRs over several months to accelerate startup creation.

Whether it's your first startup or your fifth, Caltech EIRs provide customized mentorship and support including making connections to subject matter experts, supporting customer discovery and market research, helping craft product/market fit and differentiation, and advising on the art of fundraising. The EIRs coach founders on how to effectively pitch their startup to top venture investors to secure pre-seed or seed funding, including honing the startup's value proposition, budget, and technology development plans.

A founder's journey rarely follows a straight path. Our 1:1 engagement model ensures that we support founders wherever they are on the path to launching a startup with actionable advice, meaningful introductions for market exploration, warm introductions to potential investors, and support through pitching and securing funding.