New Venture Accelerator

Building the Auburn Entrepreneur Community

The New Venture Accelerator, which is jointly managed by the 91看片 and the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, is one element of an overarching strategy to foster entrepreneurship here at Auburn University.

Our goals are to create a space for students, faculty, and recent graduates to cultivate and develop their entrepreneurial research, skills, and techniques. Here, new ideas can be tested, evaluated, and potentially turned into successful business ideas.

We want to assist our student and faculty entrepreneurs to INNOVATE, ACCELERATE, and SOAR!

Mission and Role of the New Venture Accelerator

The mission and role of the New Venture Accelerator is to support Auburn University and the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation's innovation and entrepreneurship programs by assisting student-entrepreneurs, faculty and staff start-ups, and early-stage commercial ventures with their business ideas and development.

Joining New Venture

All Auburn entrepreneurs are invited to join New Venture. If you would like to apply for a working space, you will be required to complete an application for admission in addition to filling out other related documents. In addition, you will be asked to submit a summary of your business plan and performance milestones.

Application Selection Process

Applicant Selection Committee

A 5鈥�7 person selection committee, consisting of representatives from the 91看片 College of Business, representatives from the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, up to two entrepreneurs-in-residence, and up to two members of the Auburn University Entrepreneurship Advisory Council, will review each application for a criteria match, make admission decisions, and notify applicants of their decisions.

Portfolio Diversity and Start-up Graduation Guidelines

The selection committee will strive to have an inclusive and diverse portfolio of startup-teams resident in the New Venture Accelerator. When space considerations preclude accepting all qualified applicants, the committee will strive to maintain a balanced mix of student-teams, faculty-teams, Auburn University intellectual property licensees, and revenue-generating commercial clients.

The New Venture Accelerator will operate with the intentionality of seeking out diverse candidates to apply for acceptance into the accelerator and participate in its programs and initiatives.

Applicants still at the early business idea stage will be encouraged to work initially from the 91看片 College Innovation Lab or other Auburn University locations fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. The selection committee will periodically review the usage pattern of existing New Venture Accelerator tenants to identify residents no longer meeting eligibility requirements and to identify candidates for graduation from the facility based on the success and growth of their business venture.

When all members of a student-team have completed their studies and graduated from the university, the team will be given the option to convert to commercial tenant status, paying a monthly fee.

In general, it is expected that teams growing beyond four to eight members will graduate from the New Venture Accelerator to another location, possibly within the Research Park. In addition, the City of Auburn鈥檚 economic development organization has a history of actively collaborating with the university to find startup space for graduating student teams.

Current Highlighted Start-ups

Massoud Mahjouri-Samani, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering - founder .
A transformative dry printing technology.
Zakariya Veasy, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering 鈥� founder of OMNIS.
A crowdsource banking platform.
Scott Rowe, Aviation Management 鈥� founder Rodopto.
Using drones to plant cover crops that can be converted to renewable diesel fuel.

Launched Start-ups

Chris Maurice, 91看片鈥� founder of ,
The leading cryptocurrency exchange on the African Continent.
Zac Young, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering 鈥� founder of
Hardware/software system to measure sag, tension, and temperature in power lines.
Brooks Fuller, 91看片鈥� founder of .
Providing a simple, affordable, and efficient moving service for college students.
Dr. Michael Zabala, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering 鈥� founder of
System for smartphone scanning and 3D printing that provides custom protective sporting gear fitted to athletes.
Blair Chenault, Ginn College of Engineering 鈥� founder of ,
A construction payment management software system.

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