The National Science Foundation designated UC San Diego as one of the four original universities to pilot their "innovation Corps" concept in 2011.  The resulting NSF I-Corps™ program was established to educate and train technical founders in lean startup principles, including value-based development and customer validation.  

IGE has enhanced and expanded the core curriculum, creating a rigorous introductory workshop series as foundational first steps in a Path-to-Market journey. This program will guide you through the process of product development, market validation, and business modeling.

Today, IGE is part of the Desert Pacific I-Corps Hub, which includes Arizona State University, Boise State University, San Diego State University, University of Arizona, Northern Arizona University, University of Hawai'i, University of Idaho, and University of Nevada-Las Vegas and UC San Diego. This allows IGE to expand its Impact by increasing our network, pooling resources, and servicing more startup teams.

Ready to Start Your Entrepreneurial Journey?

In partnership with the NSF I-Corps Hub: Desert and Pacific Region, IGE provides training opportunities all throughout the year.

Experienced Industry Mentors

The program is based on real-world, hands-on, immersive learning in concert with mentoring from experienced industry entrepreneurs.  It includes interviewing customers and understanding their needs and problems to develop a strong product/market fit. In each session, participants engage with mentors and other teams to share what they learn from their customer discovery efforts - as constructive feedback to further their development.

Funding Opportunities

Admitted teams may apply for an award to continue market validation if requirements are met.

Eligibility Requirements