For 15 years, Startup UCLA has helped Bruins turn ideas into action.

Since its founding, Startup UCLA has grown into a campus hub for entrepreneurship—connecting students and alumni from every field of study with the mentors, education, community, and early resources they need to explore an idea and build something meaningful.

The impact now extends far beyond campus:

Behind every number is a Bruin who took a chance: testing an idea, finding a co-founder, meeting a mentor, pitching for the first time, or discovering that entrepreneurship could become part of their future.

To celebrate Startup UCLA’s 15th anniversary, a generous donor has offered to match every gift dollar for dollar, up to $7,500. When our community contributes $7,500, we will unlock the full match and reach our $15,000 campaign goal—providing meaningful support for the next generation of Bruin entrepreneurs.

Whether you are a Startup UCLA founder, mentor, speaker, supporter, parent, student, alum, faculty or staff member, this is an opportunity to celebrate what we have built together and help create what comes next.

Your support helps Startup UCLA continue providing accessible entrepreneurial opportunities to Bruins, including:

Startup UCLA is built on a simple belief: promising ideas can come from any part of UCLA, and every Bruin should have the opportunity to explore one.

Join us in celebrating 15 years of founders, builders, mentors, and believers. Make your gift today, unlock the anniversary match, and help launch the next generation of Bruin innovation.

The Summer Accelerator 

Startup UCLA’s flagship program, the Summer Accelerator is a ten-week incubator providing experiential learning for student and alumni teams. Participants receive seed money, mentorship, and venture capital pitch opportunities, working on their ideas through the summer. This culminates in Demo Day: an in-person showcase where the teams pitching to a room of investors, mentors, and the broader UCLA and LA startup community here on campus. Learn more and join us for Demo Day on September 10.

Summer Accelerator alumni form an exclusive network of over 100 companies, with several generating over $1 million in revenue, completing acquisitions, or securing venture funding while others lead teams at top tech firms such as Uber, Facebook, Google, and Bird, to name a few.  

Each Summer Accelerator team receives $5,000 in seed funding to build their company. Early funding is a crucial milestone that gives student founders the resources and confidence for all of their future business ventures.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE UCLA FOUNDATION'S DISCLOSURE STATEMENTS FOR DONORS

Should this fund reach the campus minimum required for the establishment of an endowment or quasi-endowment, The UCLA Foundation reserves the right to convert this fund to an endowment or quasi-endowment. Please click here to learn more about how the UCLA Foundation invests and manages its endowments.