Stories & Updates

As time goes on, our circle of brilliant entrepreneurs and innovators continue to impress others and add to the list of ongoing achievements and accolades. Whether it’s obtaining funding through investments and grants, winning awards and competitions, or getting the recognition they deserve from notable people and publications, UD students, faculty, and alumni continue to succeed and display their excellence. Below are all those aforementioned achievements and accolades categorized by students, faculty, and alumni.

Another celebratory night in the books where innovative students and professionals came together to embrace the true essence of entrepreneurship at one of our biggest events of the year.  On Thursday, Nov. 16th at The Tower Audion at UD’s STAR Campus, Horn Entrepreneurship’s premier startup funding competition Hen Hatch, officially concluded after the third and final round. After months and months of passionate hard work from teams striving for a spot in the final pitching round, four young innovators secured their finalist position and a chance to pitch for the top spot plus a piece of the prize pool at 2023 Hen Hatch.  

Horn Entrepreneurship and the Lerner College of Business and Economics are thrilled to announce the prestigious recipients of the 2023 Blue Hen 17&43 Awards. Recognizing that economic growth depends on the creation of new businesses, this year’s Blue Hen 17&43 Awards focused strictly on the most promising new businesses. This annual accolade, which was established in 2017, celebrates the University of Delaware’s rich history of leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurship by recognizing exceptional early-stage startups led by Blue Hen entrepreneurs. The 17 ventures honored in this year's awards exemplify the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurial excellence within our community.

After careful consideration, Horn Entrepreneurship has selected the finalists for Hen Hatch, the University of Delaware’s premier startup competition held annually.  The entries this year show a wide array of students passionate about entrepreneurship, coming from a variety of colleges, majors, and interests. As difficult as the teams made it for our judges to come to a decision, we have successfully narrowed it down to a few especially promising innovators that we are excited to highlight in the final round. Students, alumni, and other community members interested in watching the Hen Hatch final round can register for the event to reserve a seat or watch from home via a live stream.

When it comes to nurturing the entrepreneurial spirit, few programs can rival Horn Entrepreneurship’s prestigious startup funding competition known as Hen Hatch. For years, Hen Hatch has been the launchpad for countless innovative ideas and fledgling businesses, transforming them into thriving ventures. With the Hen Hatch application period open from now until September 20th, if you're a UD student with entrepreneurial aspirations, here's why you should consider applying for this remarkable opportunity.

With the approach of Summer Founders Demo Day, take the opportunity to delve deeper into the profiles of our exceptional cohort members and their innovative ventures. Samantha McGhee and Heather Stroili have worked diligently throughout the summer to find a niche that they can service in their respective industries, human resources and fashion. Read on to discover their narratives, the significance their startups offer, and their focal points set for the past and future.

As Summer Founders Demo Day gets closer and closer, get to know a little more about our amazing cohort members and their ventures. Ahmad, Saviour, and Tom are all about growing the impact they can have on other people, individually helping others through marketing, education, and cars. Read on to learn about their stories, the value their startups bring, and their focuses for this summer.

Delaware’s research scientists, graduate students and innovators now have an exceptional opportunity to learn about, and gain first-hand experience with the process of translating their ideas, discoveries and inventions from the laboratory to the marketplace – the Innovation Delaware (InDE) Fellowship program.

Cute and personalized cookie cutters, hands-free door openers, and an “impossible floating” table are all imaginative ideas brought to life by the wonders of the 3D printing world. More specifically brought to life by the innovative mind of Richard Hayburn and his business Burn Social LLC., who have made it a mission to bring everyone’s imagination to life, whether it's the imagination of an established engineer or an artistic 8-year-old.