Stories & Updates

A milestone summer for entrepreneurship at UD culminated on August 14 with Demo Day, where the 10th cohort of Summer Founders shared their ventures with the community.

From pitching bold ideas as a high schooler in the EntreX dual enrollment program to launching ventures through Horn’s startup programs and now driving impact as an intrapreneur within a legacy nonprofit, Lynn Roberts, Class of 2024, has experienced the full arc of Horn Entrepreneurship.

After 12 weeks of building, testing, pitching, and growing, 19 student-led ventures are ready to take the stage. Horn Entrepreneurship invites you to join us for the 2025 Summer Founders Demo Day on Thursday, August 14, where this year’s cohort will showcase their startups and share the progress they’ve made in UD’s premier startup pre-accelerator. Admission is complimentary, but advance registration is requested. Register now.

Nineteen teams have been selected for Horn Entrepreneurship’s 2025 Summer Founders pre-accelerator program. This intensive 10-week experience gives University of Delaware students and recent graduates the opportunity to build their ventures full time with the support of resources, mentorship, and funding.

Spring is the season of growth, and what better way to cultivate your entrepreneurial dreams than by taking advantage of the many opportunities available this semester? Whether you're new to entrepreneurship, have a startup idea, or are already scaling your venture, there's something for everyone. Here's a look at what’s in store for students this spring.

Horn receives transformative gift from Stanford family to support Summer Founders program

The Summer Founders program is a 12-week pre-accelerator initiative from June 3 to August 15. During this time, students will receive a stipend while working on developing their ventures. The program features weekly mentoring, educational sessions, and progress meetings with advisors. Its flexible structure and individualized mentorship allow each team to focus on achieving their unique goals. The program culminates in "Demo Day," a presentation to mentors, advisors, and stakeholders on Thursday, August 15th, where student participation is mandatory. Participants are required to work on the University of Delaware campus throughout the program.  The teams in the efficiency theme include ArPlan, One Click Docs, Kitch Co., Offshore Fishing Intel Service. 

The Summer Founders program takes approximately 12 weeks, from June 3 to August 15. During this pre-accelerator program, students receive a stipend while developing their ventures. They are supported by weekly mentoring, educational sessions, and progress meetings with advisors. The flexible structure and individualized mentorship allow each team to work on achieving specific goals unique to their projects. The program concludes with "Demo Day," a presentation to mentors, advisors, and stakeholders on Thursday, August 15, which all students must attend. There is one team under the theme of “Environment” involved in the Summer Founders program this summer, and that is Big Rig’s Lionfish Spearfishing Expedition and Charter.

The Summer Founders program takes approximately 12 weeks, from June 3 to August 15. During this pre-accelerator program, students receive a stipend while developing their ventures. They are supported by weekly mentoring, educational sessions, and progress meetings with advisors. The flexible structure and individualized mentorship allow each team to work on achieving specific goals unique to their projects. The program concludes with "Demo Day," a presentation to mentors, advisors, and stakeholders on Thursday, August 15, which all students must attend. Two of the teams involved in the Summer Founders program this summer are Convertible Dress and Maker Pants.  They are both under the theme of Fashion Sustainability.

For young and ambitious entrepreneurs, summertime offers an ideal opportunity to nurture and refine their ventures amidst great weather, ample free time, and positive vibes. The Summer Founders program allows a select group of students to fully immerse themselves in developing their startups. Congratulations to this year’s eight teams!