Build something real.
The Lab is for students who want to do more than study emerging technology — they want to activate it. Whether you’re launching a venture, experimenting with AI and emerging technologies on real industry and research problems, or just starting to explore, there’s a place for you here.
You don’t need an application to start. Show up, get building, or apply to a structured program — wherever makes sense for where you are right now.
Not sure where to start?
- Show up — no application, no commitment. Come to an event, meet people, learn things.
- Get building — no application, real commitment. Build something over the course of a semester.
- Apply — cohort-based, competitive. Work in a structured program with mentors, MBA teams, or industry partners.
Starting the first week of September, everyone can plug into Tiers 1 and 2 below — no application required.
The best way to stay plugged into events and other things happening in the Lab is to subscribe to our email list, join discord and subscribe to our calendar. You can also email us with questions.
Show up
No application. No commitment. Just come.
- Weekly Open Labs + Co-working — Mondays. Drop-in workspace, no need to be building anything.
- Workshops & skill-building sessions
- Hackathons — one-day sprints, open to anyone.
- Volunteer opportunities — help run Lab events, meet the community, and get an inside look at how everything comes together. No application needed.
- Monthly networking events — alumni, mentor, and industry pop-ups (check the calendar).
Get building
No application. Real commitment. Build something over time.
- Build Nights — check the calendar and let us know you’re coming.
- Challenges — multi-week builds like the Digital Health Challenge and Competition.
Ready to apply? Find your path
Most of our formal programs have applications at the start of each semester.
I have an idea I want to build into a venture. → TEL Venture Pathway The Lab’s structured track for student founders. Move from early concept to early-stage venture through three stages — Explore & Discover, Venture Build, and Founder Lab — with industry mentors, alumni advisors, and real-world interaction at every step.
[Learn more about the Venture Pathway →]
I want to work on real industry and research problems and build hands-on experience. → Not every student wants to launch a startup. Students who join our Industry Innovation projects work on real problems brought by industry partners and campus researchers, applying AI and emerging technologies to challenges that don’t have easy answers yet. You’ll build proof of output, develop applied skills, and gain hands-on experience working at the frontier of emerging technology in a real-world context.
Students selected for these projects are paid hourly or with stipends.
[We are full for Fall 2026, Check back in January 2027.]
I want to work inside the Lab and help other students build. → Lab Associates are the Lab’s undergraduate student hires — paid positions for students who want to work at the frontier of emerging technology, contribute to real Lab experiments, and help other students find their footing across all tracks.
As a Lab Associate you’ll run experiments with AI and frontier tools, support Lab operations, and serve as a peer mentor embedded in the work — connecting students to resources, programs, and each other.
[We are full for Fall 2026, Check back in January 2027]
Whether you’re startup-curious, building your first prototype, want to get hands-on experience with emerging tech and real-world problems — there’s a place for you here.
The best way to stay plugged in: subscribe to our email list, join Discord, and follow our calendar.
Let’s build what’s next.
Find us
1403 University Ave., Madison, WI
Look for the tan building marked 1403 on University Ave. (the same location as the Wisconsin Entrepreneurship Hub). We are on the second floor.
About the UW Tech Exploration Lab
The Lab is a collaboration between the Wisconsin School of Business and the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery. We activate early-stage innovation and ventures at UW–Madison, connecting students, industry partners, researchers, and alumni around real problems, applied AI, and emerging technologies.