Playbooks, recaps, and issues of Startup Stuff, our newsletter.
This year, E-Cup raised the bar, giving away $100,000 in no-strings-attached awards to five winning companies innovating within their respective fields and industries.
Do you have a passion, a goal, something you want to create, but not sure how to make this idea a reality? Market research is a great place to start.
Pricing isn’t random. It’s a strategic decision shaped by costs, competitors, customer expectations, and brand positioning. While the market ultimately decides what a product is worth, businesses influence that decision through how they price and present their offerings. If you’re building anything—a side hustle, an app, a physical product—you’re going to face this exact decision.
Not every entrepreneur imagines their trajectory and sees themselves analyzing piles of data along the way. But good data collection and analysis are critical practices that will ensure you are making smart decisions along the way. Fortunately there are tools that can help event he most reluctant data analysts get it right.
Consumers are craving real people in 2026, and building community around a brand is a MUST, not an option. The data makes it clear; the best way to reach college students is through other college students, and here's why...
2016 graduate Holt Walker launched Tribute Provisions to fill a gap he couldn't ignore: cereal made with clean ingredients, real protein and no compromises.
Tips and tricks for the e-cup launch application process.
Details about our annual student entrepreneurship competition.
The Origin: Frustrated by the high fees and endless spreadsheets of legacy platforms, UVA third-year Santiago built Dueflow to completely automate dues collection. The Solution: The zero-fee platform eliminates the busywork by handling everything from instant Apple Pay transactions to automated SMS payment reminders. The Vision: While rapidly scaling across Greek life nationwide, Dueflow's flexible infrastructure is perfectly positioned to modernize finances for any member-based group—from local student clubs to recreational golf courses.
Navigating college, let alone the world of entrepreneurship, can feel overwhelming. You might have an amazing idea but no idea how to make it tangible, or you might be searching for someone to help you refine your business acumen. That’s where a mentor comes in. The right mentors can provide guidance, support, and connections that help shape your entrepreneurial journey and your life.
UVA McIntire alumnus Joseph Linzon turned a gap in healthy food options on the Corner into Roots Natural Kitchen and Corner Juice — now with 20+ locations nationwide.
UVA alumnus Omar Zeineddine and fourth-year Karam Aboul Hosn are building Vlogit, a social media app centered on real-time, everyday moments — and have already grown an audience of nearly 250,000 people behind their vision.
Fourth-year UVA student Ryan Levy launched Hoo You Know, a newsletter connecting students with alumni through career stories, interviews with leaders like President Emeritus Jim Ryan, and practical networking advice.
Fourth-year Batten School student Hunter Hicks turned a childhood passion for coin collecting into Hicks Coins, a business that generated over $960,000 in revenue in 2024.
After witnessing a teammate's asthma attack during track practice, biomedical engineering student Miles Lanham founded Métopi to make rescue inhalers more accessible through innovative wearable technology.
Alex Wu (McIntire '07) is a founding team member and VP at Nex Playground, the motion-controlled gaming system that became Amazon's #1 seller in Plug & Play Video Games — even outselling Xbox on Black Friday. From UVA to Meta, Uber, and now leading partnerships with Mattel, Sesame Street, and the NHL, Wu is redefining active screen time for families everywhere.
What’s up everyone!? Welcome back for the second issue of Startup Stuff. We want to thank all of the 300+ students who participated in this round of E-Cup competition. It was very tough selecting the ...
Hello Fellow Hoos! The semester is chugging along, midterms are over, and Thanksgiving Break is upon us. This is the perfect time to hack away on any of your ideas you’ve been tinkering on. Our office...
Hey Everyone! As the semester marches on, and the chilly fall weather arrives, lots of interesting startup activity is buzzing around cville. Over 300 Hoos participated in Concept with really novel id...
Welcome to the first UVA Foundry Student Startup Newsletter! If you’re getting this: you signed up, took part in any number of new programs at The Foundry, or participated in a program we have taken o...
Megan Riggs built Crunchy Hydration from her lowest point in life, turning personal struggle into entrepreneurial success.
All about the foundry at UVA and how we help startups.
Kim Wilkens and Eric Bredder created Roversa Robotics to help young coders dive into learning through hands-on robotics education.
Kenneth Lin, Alfred Udquim, and Auston Wallace are revolutionizing vending machines with their company Vendera.
Mandy Baskin turned her hot air balloon side hustle into Monticello Country Ballooning, a successful full-time business.
Rachelle Turiello and Renna Nouwairi are the driving force behind Avant Genomics, a tech company on a relentless rise.
Silvia Blemker, Craig Meyer, and Joe Hart developed Springbok, a technology that helps athletes improve their health and performance.
Miles Braxton and Savannah Whitfield founded Okovate Sustainable Energy to help solar projects and farmland coexist.
Warren Thompson built Thompson Hospitality from humble produce-peddling roots into a food service giant.
Ellie Jamison and Grace Collins turned their pickleball passion into Play Henry, a growing business with support from Darden.