Stories & Updates

This article is part of a series describing how UD Horn Entrepreneurship assists teams in moving their inventions and innovations into the marketplace, a process known as commercialization. A customized blend of resources, including training, mentorship, and funding, is provided to each team through the Blue Hen Proof of Concept Program. Additional mentorship and support is provided by Horn Entrepreneurship partners including the Office of Economic, Innovations and Partnerships and Delaware’s Small Business Development Center.

By Tracey Bryant and Catherine Zandonella, Princeton • August 25, 2021

Horn Entrepreneurship’s Summer Founders Pre-accelerator came to an end with Demo Day on August 19, 2021. However, the founders continued progress towards more successful startups never ends. The unique experience of Summer Founders increases the possibility of students launching viable startups and social ventures, all while gaining valuable advice that will provide dividends in the coming years. Summer Founders includes all aspects of an accelerator except a financial investment, with cohort members receiving guidance from experienced entrepreneurs, advisors and mentors. The founders are also paid stipends to allow them to fully focus on their startup pursuits as long as they continue to demonstrate progress, much like how they might need to sell an investor on progress to get a next round of funding.

Anna Solomon is sales manager at NextFab, a Philadelphia makerspace. At UD, she earned a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship in 2015.

We are sharing this highlight of Delaware Innovation Fellow Miranda Petti and her journey serving abroad as a Senior Airman of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command while enrolled in her sophomore year at University of Delaware. Read the full story on UDaily.

Horn was awarded a sizable grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration’s SPRINT (Scaling Pandemic Resilience Through Innovation and Technology) Challenge to expand a signature offering, the Proof-of-Concept (POC) program.

Read the full story on UDaily.

Horn Entrepreneurship is excited to announce all of the accomplishments and successes of our community of creative thinkers, trailblazers and world-changers this quarter.

Milestones can be celebrated as a measure of accomplishment. For the Horn Entrepreneurship Summer Founders, they have reached an important one of being at the halfway point.

Individual progress is dependent on their biggest challenge of “getting out of the building” to meet potential customers and learn how valuable their startup solution is, or how it could be appreciated even more. By this measure, they have collectively made 442 visits, in-person locally or somewhere in the USA, virtually. The best personal growth measure is what they each find from one another. The pre-accelerator program is designed to collaborate and that is why on a daily basis, they work together to advance each other's product potential.

The Blue Hen 17&43 Awards are the University of Delaware’s way of recognizing students and alumni who are part of today’s most promising new ventures and fastest-growing companies. Applications are being sought through July 23, 2021, with an award presentation planned for September.