Launch Bold Ideas with Lehigh Ventures Lab
Ventures Lab empowers Lehigh students, alumni, faculty, and staff to turn bold ideas into scalable, real-world startups. We provide the structure, mentorship, funding, and resources to move your idea forward. Strategically. Purposefully. And with impact.
Comprehensive, next-level support for high-potential, advanced-stage Lehigh entrepreneurs.
- Students: Build real ventures through mentorship, funding, and hands-on startup experience.
- Alumni: Access mentorship, capital, and strategic support to scale your post-grad venture with confidence.
- Faculty & Staff: Translate research and innovation into commercial success through venture creation and Lehigh-supported commercialization pathways.
Programs
Founders' Forge
Built for high-achieving students who’ve honed their entrepreneurial mindset through programs like EUREKA!, the Hatchery, or ENTP courses and are now ready to validate and grow scalable startups.
Milestone Accelerator
Purpose-built for those past the proof-of-concept phase, the Milestone Accelerator offers rigorous support, strategic guidance, and the momentum to scale what’s already working.
Why Lehigh Ventures Lab?
Ventures Lab brings together Lehigh University’s academic strength, global alumni network, and deep entrepreneurial infrastructure to accelerate high-potential startups. Whether you’re in Bethlehem or building remotely, you’ll gain:
- Expert mentorship from alumni founders, investors, and industry leaders
- Milestone-driven guidance tailored to your stage of growth
- Access to startup funding and pitch opportunities
- A curated founder community and collaborative peer network
- Legal, financial, and technical support from trusted Lehigh partners
Not Sure Where to Start?
We’re here to help. Schedule a quick intro call with our team to explore your next best move.
LVL Milestone Accelerator Application Deadline
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LVL Milestone Accelerator Application Deadline
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Ventures Lab News
Innovate! Celebrate! 2026: From 'What If?' to What's Real
The annual Innovate! Celebrate! event was less a ceremony than a demonstration. On the evening of April 28, Lehigh University's Office of Entrepreneurship filled the room with confetti, applause, and something harder to manufacture: proof. Proof that curiosity, when given the right ecosystem, becomes something real.
![5 million in Lehigh [faux] Founder Fund$](/sites/entrepreneurship.lehigh.edu/files/styles/square_thumbnail_xs/public/images/news/5x3a0111-ic-20260428-sme226.jpg?h=804dd421&itok=X23WoiAw)
Six hundred million in Faux Founder Fund$ — and One Very Real $1,000 Winner
Each year, before the formal Innovate! Celebrate! program begins, attendees spend the reception period in Innovation Alley — a showcase of student ventures who compete for Founder Fund$, the event's faux investment currency. The prize is a REAL $1,000 cash prize!
From Validation to Growth: The Ventures Lab at Year Four
Lehigh's Ventures Lab isn't where ideas are born — it's where they grow into fully formed companies. Now in its fourth year, four Ventures Lab founders were highlighted at the 2026 Innovate! Celebrate! awards ceremony.
