The Tech Lab exists to ground builders in business reality — and give high-potential ideas the launchpad they need to become the next great UW–Madison ventures.
Self-Directed Innovation
Explore. Experiment. Discover what excites you.
This is the front door to the ecosystem — Here you have the space to explore, the freedom to lead your own experiments, and access to the resources that matter: collaborators, mentors, tools, and real-world problems. We don’t prescribe your path — we put the reins in your hands and support you as you discover what you’re capable of building.
No pressure. No venture requirement. Just a place to try things, learn emerging technologies, meet collaborators, and see what’s possible.
You might be here if you:
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Are drawn to AI, emerging tech, or building things
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Want to participate in hackathons, Build Nights, and workshops
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Are discovering what kind of builder you really are
Venture Pathway
From early signal to real traction.
For those who already have something — a prototype, an idea, or early validation — and are ready to find out if it can survive the real world.
Venture Discovery — Validate the Problem
You may already have a solution. Now it’s time to be sure you’re solving the right problem. Pressure-test assumptions, clarify user pain, and decide whether your idea is worth a full go-to-market push.
Venture Build — Design the Go-To-Market
Paired with MBA teams, founders dive deep into customer segments, pricing, positioning, and growth strategy. This is where energy becomes discipline.
Founder Lab — Test in the Wild (Invitation-Only)
Operate your venture inside Founder Lab — an invitation-only cohort and shared founder workspace at 1403 University Avenue — where serious builders test their ideas in the wild alongside peers who are just as committed.
Pilot in real-world environments — often in collaboration with companies willing to open doors to testing — while receiving mentor guidance and gathering live market feedback.
Industry Innovation
Solve real problems that matter.
Industry Innovation at The Tech Lab include Challenges, Co-Labs, and Industry Problem Statements.
Our flagship Digital Health Challenge anchors this work, offering a curated set of mission-driven challenges in areas like brain health, aging-in-place, and caregiving technology.
Co-Labs and partner-defined problem statements extend this model, inviting students to work inside focused, real-world contexts shaped by industry leaders and mentors.
Across all three, students engage with system-level needs — not abstract case studies — building and testing ideas that matter.
Ready to Start?
Wherever you are — curious explorer, early builder, or problem-solver — there’s a place for you at The Tech Lab.