Explore: Biotech · Fintech · Seed
StartUP Fund
University of Pennsylvania
Investment Thesis
The evergreen fund provides seed-stage capital to startups based on university technology, know-how, or ideas, founded by faculty members and researchers from the University of Pennsylvania.
About StartUP Fund
The StartUP Fund is a $10 million evergreen fund launched by the University of Pennsylvania to provide seed-stage capital of up to $250,000 to startups founded by Penn faculty or researchers and based on university-developed technologies, ideas, or know-how. Managed by the Office of the Chief Innovation Officer, it supports ventures across all sectors including biotech, AI, energy, and FinTech to bridge early-stage funding gaps and enable commercialization milestones. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis by external VC experts, with returns reinvested to sustain the fund.
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Geographic focus
Verified 29 March 2026 · Sources: company website, Fusion42 review
Frequently asked questions
- What does StartUP Fund invest in?
- StartUP Fund invests in biotech, AI, energy, FinTech and all technology sectors at the seed stage.
- Which geographies does StartUP Fund focus on?
- StartUP Fund focuses on United States, and is headquartered in US.
- What is StartUP Fund's typical check size?
- StartUP Fund typically writes checks of $0.1M to $0.3M.