The TEL Venture Pathway
Your idea. Sharpened by the real world.
The Venture Pathway is the Lab’s structured track for students ready to activate an idea at the frontier of emerging technology. What makes it different: you’re never working in a vacuum. At every stage, your idea is pressure-tested against real industry context — through mentors who’ve built companies, alumni who’ve navigated the problems you’re facing, and industry partners who can turn a promising concept into a live pilot.
We specialize in early-stage. The messy, uncertain, high-potential space before a venture is fully formed. We help you move from curiosity to evidence, and from evidence to a venture worth pursuing.
You can move through the stages in sequence, or enter at the stage that matches where you are. Teams with equivalent experience can participate in Venture Build or Founder Lab.
All pathway teams present at Demo Night, the Lab’s bi-annual showcase of student ventures, industry innovation, and research-to-market projects.
Stage 1: Explore & Discover – Fall 2026
Activate your idea. Test it against what’s real.
This is where the work begins — and where most founders discover whether their idea holds up outside their own head. You bring the concept. We bring the context: industry mentors who surface relevant challenges, alumni who’ve built in your space, and a community of other students working at the frontier of emerging technology and real-world problems.
Track participants get access to mentors, structured frameworks, build resources, team members, and direct engagement with industry and alumni advisors. The goal isn’t a finished product — it’s clarity on whether your idea is worth pursuing and what the next step should be.
Anyone can attend Build Nights, hackathons, and Lab events. But track support is limited — cohort size is capped, so apply early.
→ Applications for Explore & Discover will be available in mid-September.
Stage 2: Venture Build – Fall 2026
From discovery to development.
Venture Build is where ideas and early prototypes evolve into credible venture opportunities. Teams enter with a clear problem and a validated idea or functional demo — and leave with market traction, proof points, and a compelling business case.
The real-world thread runs through every part of this program. Industry-connected mentors and alumni advisors bring live market context to your validation work. Wisconsin School of Business MBA collaborators — specialists in new product innovation — work over the semester to translate technical momentum into strategy.
Together, teams deepen market framing, strengthen value propositions, shape go-to-market strategy, and prepare for early adoption — culminating in a Final Pitch Night with investors and VCs focused on early-stage tech innovation.
Who’s eligible: Teams should have a prototype or proof-of-concept — even if early. Strong candidates come from Explore & Discovery, UW sandbox or hackathon projects, or independent work with a technical prototype already underway. Not sure if you’re ready? Apply anyway — we’ll help determine the best entry point.
Applications open August 28, 2026. Kickoff September 2026.
Stage 3: Founder Lab – Spring 2027
Invitation-only. Pilot your venture in the real world.
Founder Lab is the Lab’s most advanced pathway — a venture launchpad for founders ready to move beyond validation into live market testing. Here, industry partners don’t just advise — they provide authentic test beds where you pilot your idea against real constraints, real users, and real feedback. This is not a class. It’s a test-and-learn build environment.
Founder Lab teams receive access to dedicated mentors and technical advisors, applied AI and emerging technology resources, and structured sprints focused on piloting solutions, product-market fit, and go-to-market readiness.
Founder Lab teams receive dedicated mentors and technical advisors, applied AI and emerging technology resources, and structured sprints focused on piloting solutions, product-market fit, and go-to-market readiness.
Teams operate on a light founder cadence — peer feedback sessions and milestone check-ins throughout the semester — culminating in a trip to San Francisco in the summer for ecosystem immersion, feedback from alumni founders, venture partners, and innovation leaders, and exposure to what comes next on the startup journey.
Who it’s for: Founders who have already built something — a prototype, MVP, or working concept — validated with real users and ready to test in live market conditions. Prior Lab participation or equivalent entrepreneurial experience required.
Founder Lab is invitation or referral only. Questions or want to refer a team? Contact Sandra Bradley, Executive Director → sandra.bradley@wisc.edu