The University of Southern California (USC) and Techstars Digital Economy Program’s inaugural University Catalyst program commenced at the close of 2024, following a successful 10-week program that ran from September through November. The USC and Techstars University Catalyst Program is a collaborative initiative between the University of Southern California (USC) and Techstars, aimed at fostering entrepreneurship within the USC community. The program provides early-stage founders—including students, alumni, faculty, and staff—with startup education, mentorship, and access to Techstars’ extensive network of entrepreneurs, mentors, and corporate partners.
The program’s inaugural cohort comprised a diverse group of startups spanning various industries. Over a 10-week period, participants engaged in weekly masterclasses designed to help them scale their businesses and navigate unique challenges faced by founders. The curriculum included pitch coaching, pitch design, and one-on-one mentor sessions with subject matter experts. The participating companies and founders from the inaugural class are as follows: 3Dropolis – Max Good; Ardist Inc – Tyler Ard; Ashvins AI – Vinay Duddalwar; Autonomie AI – Rahul Jain; Bullseye AI – Michael Lau; ChewyLogic LLC – Yao Du; Clinicode – Jerry Zhang; Common Ground – Abel Salinas; CpG Diagnostics – Bodour Salhia; edmX – Aiden Walters; Lunacare – Lori Pridjian; MacroBreed – Gary Molano; Native – Jessie Tran; Prosporus – Brad Hurwitz; Sanqi Therapeutics LLC – Candace Ma; Treffa – Anantika Mannby; Underdose – Tatum Verona
The University Catalyst Program is part of the broader USC and Techstars Digital Economy Program, which seeks to cultivate an entrepreneurial ecosystem supporting startups and inspiring entrepreneurship within the vibrant USC community. This comprehensive initiative includes events like Startup Weekend—a three-day event designed to ignite ideas and build startup communities—and the Ecosystem Development Lab, a training program for community leaders to strengthen the foundation of their entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through this partnership, USC and Techstars aim to create a pathway for early-stage and aspiring founders to progress on their entrepreneurial journey, contributing to the growth of the Southern California innovation ecosystem.