Purposeful, rigorous, and grounded in collaboration, this is where tested ideas become actual ventures—and where problem-solvers shape what’s next.

The Founders‘ Forge is built for high-achieving undergrads and grad students who’ve outgrown programs like EUREKA!, the Hatchery, or ENTP courses—and who are now ready to validate and grow scalable startups. 

We also empower faculty, postdocs, and researchers to commercialize Lehigh-owned intellectual property and translate research into market-ready solutions. 

Program Details

  • 8–12 months in 120-day goal focused sprints
  • Milestone-driven with regular check-ins, peer sessions, and progress tracking
  • Up to $5,000 in grant funding available for student teams to support MVP development and testing
  • ~5–10 hours/week
  • In-person + virtual hybrid
  • Free

  • Lehigh students & select faculty teams

     

As a participant, you’ll:

  • Commit 5–10 hours per week to working on your venture alongside classes or research
  • Work bi-weekly 1:1 startup coaches and access guidance from alumni and industry experts
  • Identify and test your core assumptions—about your customers, market, or business model—using fast, low-cost experiments
  • Receive up to $5,000 in grant funding (for student teams) to build and test early version of your product or service with real users
  • Iterate based on what you learn, so you can move forward with confidence and clarity
  • Participate in Founders Circle peer sessions to share updates, problem-solve, and learn from fellow founders.
  • Get support with legal, financial, and operational basics to prepare for incorporation and next-stage growth
  • Tap into Lehigh’s startup ecosystem: access to labs, mentors, expert networks, and student collaborators

Lehigh Ventures Lab

Ventures Lab Home | Founders‘ Forge | Milestone Accelerator