The best place on campus to launch a startup
Startup OU is the home base for Sooner entrepreneurs and innovators. We provide students, staff, and faculty at the University of Oklahoma with the community, resources, and mentorship they need to build a successful startup.
Questions? Email us at startups@ou.edu or sign up for office hours here.
The Idea Accelerator is a 4-week sprint that introduces founders to key startup concepts, assists them in validating their ideas, and offers them an opportunity to earn up to $5,000 in funding. In addition, participants get to join a cohort of founders who can support one another in accelerating their startups.
Founders who successfully validate their ideas and wish to continue developing their startups will have the option to apply for the Founder in Residence program, which is a full-semester program of intensive training in sales, marketing, fundraising, and operations led by subject-matter experts.
The Founder in Residence program is for founders who have already validated their ideas and launched their startups. Over the course of a semester, founders will receive expert-led training in sales, marketing, fundraising, legal, and operations.
At the conclusion of the Residency, participants will have the skills necessary to acquire customers, develop fundraising strategy, pitch their startups, and build serious ventures. In addition, top teams will have the opportunity to pitch their ventures at our annual Startup Showcase to potential investors, mentors, and other ecosystem members.
We generally do not allow participation unless founders have already gone through the Idea Accelerator, but if you feel you've made progress beyond the Idea Accelerator, send an email to startups@ou.edu explaining why.
