UMass Amherst, the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system, has been an NSF I-Corps site since October 2018, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship among researchers, faculty, and students. The program equips teams with the skills and resources to explore the commercial potential of their technologies through intensive customer discovery and market validation. 

As a Land Grant institution with strengths in agricultural sciences, blue tech, forestry, and healthcare, UMass leverages its regional partnerships and entrepreneurial ecosystem to support teams post-I-Corps. Key resources include the campus Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) network, the Entrepreneurship Center, the IALS Innovation Fellows, Valley Venture Mentors, and Valley-based venture funds. The interdisciplinary focus of I-Corps aligns with Chancellor Javier Reyes’ vision to build a robust culture of innovation and entrepreneurship at UMass Amherst.

Visit the UMass I-corps website!

Programs Offered

• Hub Spark Online. Attend our free regional I-Corps short courses developed specifically for STEM researchers. Whether you are just curious about entrepreneurship or certain you want to create a startup, our programs provide engineers and scientists with the ideal entry point to explore the potential value of their research or innovation. Individuals and teams may apply.
• Innovators Warm-Up: Get Started — A stand-alone introduction to technology commercialization and the lean startup method. Innovators Warm-Ups are offered several times throughout the year.
• Innovators Jump-Start: Gain Experience — For those who attend an Innovators Warm-Up and want more. The program is offered once per semester.
• Innovators Rev-Up: Get Serious — Teams that have completed the Innovators Jump-Start and want to dig deeper can propose a Rev-Up project for funding of up to $2,000 to attend at an industry conference to complete an additional 15 customer discovery interviews The schedule is tailored to each team individually.

Team Members