Welcome to the Foundry
All about the foundry at UVA and how we help startups.
Welcome to The Foundry
You made it to our humble little home on the web. This website is intended to serve as the digital hub for all things entrepreneurship at UVA. Whether you’re the next Alexis Ohanian or Arsalan Tavakoli or just curious about entrepreneurship, The Foundry has resources for all of you. The Foundry is an offering brought to you by UVA Innovates and the UVA Provost office. Read more about UVA Innovates here.
What we do
Venture Advising (Mentorship program)
One-on-one coaching sessions, industry-specific guidance, technical advisory meetings, founder story sessions, and strategy reviews.
Office Hours
Weekly drop in sessions with our Entrepreneurs In Residence and other guest experts covering topics from legal help for startups to marketing or product development.
Product Lab
Come learn from our experts on how to build prototypes, both physical and digital of your products.
Networking events
Community Hub: Join a vibrant ecosystem of founders, innovators, and industry leaders that fosters connections for collaboration and success.
Engagement Opportunities: Founder meetups, industry networking events, innovation showcases, collaborative workshops, and community celebrations.
Coworking Space
The Startup House: A collaborative space located on Elliewood Ave (#9) in the heart of The Corner, where UVA innovators can find a spot at a workbench, bounce ideas off fellow founders, and bring their vision to life.
Venture Analyst Program: An immersive learning experience to develop the mindset and skillset of a successful entrepreneur. This paid position offers practical knowledge through action-based learning, teaching students how venture capitalists look at deals, support ecosystem entrepreneurs, and build a startup consulting toolbox. It is limited to 10 Venture Analysts per semester and is by application only. Students work hands-on with student startups under the guidance of Foundry mentors.
How to get started
The key to using all of our services and facilities is to start with a Foundry credential. Head on over to the signup page to get started with requesting help on your startup or booking a space. Soon you will also be able to use a wide array of AI entrepreneurship tools we’ve developed as well. You can also book a discovery session with our team to explore how The Foundry's services can ignite your entrepreneurial journey. Our mission is to remove every obstacle from your entrepreneurial journey. If you don't see the resource you're looking for, or if you need specialized support, reach out to our team directly at foundry@virginia.edu.