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In the News

Jan. 09, 2020

Summer Founders Program offers $15,000 to student startup teams

The 2020 Summer Founders program provides selected Penn State entrepreneurial teams (founders) $15,000 to work full time on their startup, social good or nonprofit idea. Working over the summer, the program provides workspace and a plethora of resources and support.

Nov. 22, 2019

Tick defense, interactive math equations among 2019 FastTrack Accelerator teams

Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank has accepted six new early-stage startup businesses into its FastTrack Accelerator program. The business ideas range from Lyme disease-carrying tick defense for athletes to 3D printing parts for silicone prototyping to helping small businesses grow their customer pipeline.

Oct. 03, 2019

Hunt smarter: IST alum develops digital journal to take guesswork out of hunting

After growing up in central Pennsylvania, Dan Hansel, 2007, has an affinity for two things: Penn State and hunting. Now, as an alumnus of the College of Information Sciences and Technology, he’s found a way to blend those passions in a digital journal that hunters can use for predictive analytics to track animal patterns.

Aug. 13, 2019

$50,000, 5 teams, 1 summer – Summer Founders Program results

A signature program of Invent Penn State, the Summer Founders Program is a 13-week accelerator that provides teams $10,000 in funding, resources and mentorship to accelerate their ideas over the summer. Teams work full time on their startup, attend weekly dinners and meet regularly with advisers throughout the summer. The program does not take ownership or equity in participants’ businesses or nonprofits. All that’s asked is participants commit to working hard on their project for the summer and making an impact in their community.

Aug. 12, 2019

From fire safety to lending money, FastTrack startup teams pursue solutions

Several new startups launched by community and student entrepreneurs recently graduated from the Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank FastTrack Accelerator. Their ideas spanned acne treatment; a better way to find a tech dream job or sublet an apartment; and a Smoke Shield System that increases the amount of time someone trapped in a fire can survive while waiting to be rescued.

Jul. 29, 2019

Student startup aims to improve health care through technology

“Don’t quit your daydream,” read the signs at the Happy Valley LaunchBox powered by PNC Bank. For Joel Seidel, a rising junior majoring in information sciences and technology, that simple statement is fueling his passion to improve how individuals make informed decisions about their health.

Jul. 01, 2019

Alumni looking to create ‘buzz’ with lifestyle app

A team of former Penn State students has created Beemia, an app that is a platform for what they call “a community-fed information network.”

May. 17, 2019

Shenango student entrepreneurs win grand prize in Inc.U Competition

Penn State Shenango student entrepreneurs Ali Izzo and Holly Masters won $15,000 during “The Investment,” the finale of PennTAP’s Inc.U Competition, which aired May 16 on WPSU-TV.

May. 07, 2019

Student entrepreneur takes blood tests from the waiting room to the living room

Using Penn State’s entrepreneurial resources, recent graduate Sherveen “Shevy” Karbasi is bringing complete blood count testing out of the clinic and onto a smartphone via HemoGO, an app capable of delivering a CBC in less than a minute, all within the comfort and security of one’s own home.