Note: The Blackstone LaunchPad hub at UCSF will be administered by CTSI's Catalyst Program.
Press Release via UC Office of the President
The University of California and the Blackstone Charitable Foundation announced today (Sept. 24) the expansion of an exciting program that will equip students with more tools and resources to take their entrepreneurship and innovation to the next level. The $5 million expansion of the Blackstone LaunchPad powered by Techstars program will give more UC campuses critical access to resources, opportunities and mentorships for students and recent graduates across disciplines and experience levels.
“As the home to entrepreneurs and researchers at the forefront of cutting-edge discoveries and technological advancements, UC is the powerful engine behind California’s global leadership on innovation,” said UC President Janet Napolitano.
“We take great pride, especially, in our efforts to break down barriers and increase opportunities for women and minority entrepreneurs. We are excited to bring LaunchPad — and its valuable resources, opportunities and network — to UC campuses to further embed the ‘startup culture’ into the fabric of our campus communities.”
UC students will be able to take advantage of LaunchPad events, coaching and an exceptional talent network to help them succeed in their entrepreneurial ventures, moving groundbreaking research out of the laboratory or classroom and into the marketplace. This program has been operating at UCLA since 2014, reaching more than 8,000 students, serving 800-plus startup ventures and facilitating more than 3,000 startup consulting meetings. Eight more UC campuses will now be able to leverage the opportunities from LaunchPad thanks to the Blackstone Charitable Foundation grant.