Applicant Selection Committee

A 5–7 person selection committee, consisting of representatives from the Harbert College of Business, representatives from the Auburn Research and Technology Foundation, up to two entrepreneurs-in-residence, and up to two members of the Auburn University Entrepreneurship Advisory Council, will review each application for a criteria match, make admission decisions, and notify applicants of their decisions.

Portfolio Diversity and Start-up Graduation Guidelines

The selection committee will strive to have an inclusive and diverse portfolio of startup-teams resident in the New Venture Accelerator. When space considerations preclude accepting all qualified applicants, the committee will strive to maintain a balanced mix of student-teams, faculty-teams, Auburn University intellectual property licensees, and revenue-generating commercial clients.

The New Venture Accelerator will operate with the intentionality of seeking out diverse candidates to apply for acceptance into the accelerator and participate in its programs and initiatives.

Applicants still at the early business idea stage will be encouraged to work initially from the Harbert College Innovation Lab or other Auburn University locations fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. The selection committee will periodically review the usage pattern of existing New Venture Accelerator tenants to identify residents no longer meeting eligibility requirements and to identify candidates for graduation from the facility based on the success and growth of their business venture.

When all members of a student-team have completed their studies and graduated from the university, the team will be given the option to convert to commercial tenant status, paying a monthly fee.

In general, it is expected that teams growing beyond four to eight members will graduate from the New Venture Accelerator to another location, possibly within the Research Park. In addition, the City of Auburn’s economic development organization has a history of actively collaborating with the university to find startup space for graduating student teams.