Mission Short

Y Combinator for university students

The Challenge

Most university students with great ideas lack access to the tools, funding, and mentorship needed to turn them into startups. Universities often encourage innovation but stop at theory, leaving the entrepreneurial drive unsupported. As a result, thousands of potential founders never take the first step, and promising ideas die before being validated.

The solution

InnovaX is a digital platform that acts as a micro-Y Combinator for university students, transforming ideas born in classrooms into validated, investable startups. Our model removes barriers and builds an inclusive, self-sustaining ecosystem for student founders: 💡 Accessible entry: a symbolic 10$ application fee ensures inclusivity while filtering for commitment. 🧭 Structured incubation path: from idea validation to prototype development, guided by mentors, tools, and peer collaboration. ⚙️ Progressive equity micro-fee model (1-5%): a flexible structure that increases with the level of support provided, ensuring long-term alignment and keeping the cost highly competitive compared to traditional accelerators. 💼 Corporate access layer: companies and investors pay to access the deal flow and emerging talent pool, creating a circular funding loop that fuels the ecosystem. This model has already been tested within my university community, engaging 40+ active members and generating 9+ institutional partnerships, including a VC fund and multiple founders now running their own startups.