Stanford Students Launch $2M Startup Accelerator for College Entrepreneurs

Breakthrough Ventures, a nationwide startup accelerator founded by Stanford students Roman Scott and Itbaan Nafi, has raised $2 million to expand its support for college founders and recent graduates. The program, which grew out of Demo Days at Stanford in 2024, offers grants of up to $10,000, compute credits, legal support, mentorship from top executives, and potential follow-on investments of $50,000. Backed by Mayfield, Silicon Valley Bank, Collide Capital, and Stanford-alumni founders, Breakthrough aims to incubate at least 100 startups over the next three years, offering a hybrid model with in-person meetups and a culminating Demo Day at Stanford. FOUNDERS: Roman Scott & Itbaan Nafi AMOUNT: $2,000,000 #VentureCapital #BreakthroughVentures #RomanScott #ItbaanNafi #TradedVC

In a bold move to foster innovation among the youth, two Stanford University students have unveiled a $2 million startup accelerator program aimed at students across the United States. The initiative, Breakthrough Ventures, was announced on February 2, 2026, via TechCrunch, and seeks to provide funding, mentorship, and resources to budding entrepreneurs still in college. The Vision Behind the Accelerator Founded by Roman Scott and Itbaan Nafi, both juniors at Stanford, Breakthrough Ventures draws from their own experiences navigating the startup world while balancing academics. With initial backing from prominent venture capitalists, the accelerator plans to select 50 student-led startups annually for intensive support.

Student entrepreneurship gets a major push as Roman Scott and Itbaan Nafi, founders of Breakthrough Ventures, secure $2 million to support student-led startups across the U.S. With Raihan Ahmed leading the accelerator, the program aims to back 100 young ventures, widening access to capital, mentorship, and networks beyond elite campuses. A big moment for the next generation of founders. Read More: https://lnkd.in/geAjZWD9

Meet Chris Crittenden, the FAMOUS Co-Founder of Sandbox...a student startup program that is EXTREMELY important to the State of Utah. Yesterday, Peter Harris and a bunch of Utah’s top VCs (University Growth Fund, The Nucleus Institute, Sorenson Impact, Sandbox, and Campus Founders Fund) hosted a series teaching students how to break into venture. It doubled as a capstone event for Utah Tech Week, and you could feel the momentum in the room. If you haven’t heard of Chris yet, here’s why he’s notable in Utah: - He created Sandbox as a new model for college entrepreneurship—an intensive, for-credit program where students build real startups (not class projects). - Sandbox started at BYU (born as an experiment in 2020) and has expanded across multiple Utah universities (including Utah Tech and UVU, with broader statewide growth since). - The outcomes are already showing up: early Sandbox cohorts have launched companies valued at $200M+ collectively, with multiple teams accepted to Y Combinator. What stands out about Chris is he’s not just “building a program”—he’s helping build Utah’s next generation of founders by giving students a real on-ramp: mentorship, velocity, and belief. Utah needs more of this Chris and Sandbox. #UtahTechWeek #VentureCapital #Startups #Entrepreneurship #BYU #UtahTech #UVU #SiliconSlopes #FounderPipeline

Chris Crittenden and the team at Sandbox have been building the perfect startup experience for the exact time when it hasn't ever been better to be a startup founder.

Startup Founders, where do your capabilities align on the "Spider Chart"? As you seek investment for your startup, keep in mind that investors are not typically "charitable organizations." They aim to achieve a significant return on their investment (ROI) as quickly as possible. Therefore, they look for startups that can demonstrate strength across each of the "Areas of Interest" outlined below. Consider where your startup stands in relation to these areas. Plan to attend the Focused Strategy LLC Startup Academy - Pitch Event in Boulder, Colorado (Galvanize) on March 24th from 9 AM to 10:30 AM to learn how to effectively position your startup for successful investment. For more details on how to attend and potentially present, visit: https://lnkd.in/gdugGkFa

Last Friday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Greater Copenhagen EU Office for an inspiring session focused on EU funding opportunities for startups. For many startups, funding is a crucial part of the growth journey, but navigating the landscape of available programs and identifying the right fit can be challenging. That’s why it was incredibly valuable to host Maria Tørnsø Østergaard and Casper Andersen, who shared practical insights into where the opportunities are, what it actually takes to apply, and how to get started. The session invited founders to explore questions like: Thinking about EU funding but not sure where to begin? Participants gained a clear introduction to their options, followed by the opportunity for 1:1 guidance on their own ideas. A big thank you to Greater Copenhagen EU Office for visiting and for helping our startups take the next steps on their funding journey

Pava LaPere’s family announces plans for a new startup foundation at 2026 Student Venture Showcase Frank LaPere is working with Baltimore’s entrepreneurial community to build an organization aimed at closing gaps in support for young founders. This year’s showcase, hosted by UpSurge Baltimore recognized nine student-founded companies that each received $50,000 from a funding pool created by the Pava LaPere Legacy of Innovation Act of 2024. The grant program is administered by TEDCO for Baltimore-area startups, and awardees also receive mentorship and strategic guidance from an advisory board. See Technical.ly article by Maria Eberhart here: https://lnkd.in/e6jVngcy Frank LaPere photo courtesy of Brandon Towns

⭐ Three award winning startup companies fueled by the interdisciplinary talents of three SMS students ⭐ At Venture Devils Demo Day this fall, Skysong Innovations were transformed into a showcase of bold ideas, rigorous science, and student-driven entrepreneurship. Logan Chang, Logan Hessefort and Esteban Gardea won funding for their impactful startups. Together their awards underscored how student founders are translating lab-born discoveries into scalable solutions, earning both funding and validation from judges, donors and the broader ASU community. Read the full story at ASU News: https://buff.ly/M1Oms9C

“47.1% of startups fail in the first 18 months.” That statistic stopped Gregory Shepard in his tracks—and sparked a mission to fix what’s broken in the startup world. Through Startup Science, he’s applying research, data, and pattern recognition to help founders avoid predictable pitfalls. The platform removes fragmentation by bringing together capital, mentorship, education, and support systems—all in one place. And here’s the game-changer: founders access these resources for free. Gregory believes innovation shouldn’t depend on privilege—it should be accessible to anyone with vision and drive. Now, through his crowdfunding campaign, the public can invest in strengthening the very infrastructure that helps startups survive and thrive. Post details in the comment. #StartupSuccess #FounderSupport #RegCF #StartupGrowth #InnovationEcosystem #EntrepreneurJourney #ImpactStartups #CrowdInvesting #StartupCommunity #VentureInnovation