Information for Penn State Employees & Students

The Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference [IPSVIP] connects the Penn State community with investors, entrepreneurs, industry and researchers from across the country. Over two days, the conference matches investor-selected startup companies with venture capital firms, highlights disruptive technological innovations from across the nation, showcases Penn State intellectual property and provides educational tracks for entrepreneurs of all levels of experience.

About Conference Registration

The IPSVIP will be held on October 16 & 17, 2023 at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, PA. Registration is required for all attendees due to space limitations. The conference has sold out in past years, so we highly recommend registering before August 17, 2023. Click here to open the registration page.

Complimentary Registrations

To encourage broad access and participation across Penn State's administrative and academic units, two complimentary registrations have been provided to each member of the Penn State Academic Leadership Council (ALC). ALC members include Deans of Colleges, Chancellors of Commonwealth Campuses, and select unit leaders and administrators from across the University. These complimentary registrations, communicated to ALC members and their administrative support personnel via email on July 28, 2023 are transferable to any faculty, staff, student or administrator in the unit at the discretion of the unit leader. A directory of ALC members is linked here.

Accommodations

While the conference organizers are not able to provide complimentary accommodations, a discounted room block is available for the nights of October 15 & 16, 2023. The room block expires on September 13, 2023 per Hershey Lodge policy. Room block rooms are not available for October 17, 2023.

Faculty, Researcher, Staff & Graduate Student Participation

Faculty, researchers, staff and graduate students may be designated by their unit's ALC leader as recipients of one or both complimentary registrations. Faculty, administrators and graduate students can also register as attendees at the normal rate. There is not a reduced rate for Penn State employees beyond the complimentary registrations provided to each unit. There are, however, multiple other ways that faculty, researchers or graduate students can participate in the IPSVIP.

Penn State faculty, researchers, staff and graduate students selected for the Penn State Tech Tournament will be provided complimentary registration to the IPSVIP. This fast-paced competition will feature the best & brightest of Penn State's early-stage innovators. This event will showcase exciting & innovative intellectual property coming out of Penn State's research enterprise. Commercialization grants (with a $25,000 grand prize) will be awarded to select faculty, research staff or graduate students with aspirations to start a new venture to move their innovation into the marketplace. Please contact Jim Pietropaolo at jvp11@psu.edu prior to July 28, 2023 to nominate a faculty or graduate student innovation for participation in the Penn State Tech Tournament. Note: Undergraduate students are not eligible for the Tech Tournament, but should explore other opportunities, described below.

Penn State Innovation Guide

Faculty and graduate students with groundbreaking intellectual property that might not be ready or suited for a startup company have an opportunity to submit their innovation for publication in the conference Innovation Guide. The Top 40 Innovations, as selected by the Office of Technology Management, will be published in the Guide. Selected inventors need not attend the conference but are welcome to register. Please contact your assigned Technology Licensing Officer in the Office of Technology Management if you are interested in having your innovation showcased in the Innovation Guide.

Penn State faculty with a startup company are welcome to apply to present at the Venture Connection session of the IPSVIP. Selected companies will connect with investors in an intimate, dynamic format. During Venture Connection, investors will host breakout room meetings with entrepreneurs who have been pre-screened and matched with them based on capital needs, industry, and other key criteria. Breakout rooms will rotate periodically, giving startup founders the opportunity to meet with numerous investors in a timeframe of a few hours. Click here to start a Venture Connection application.

VC Observers

There will be an opportunity for Penn State faculty, staff or students to be “VC Observers” during the Venture Connection sessions of the Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference in order to learn about the process of securing venture capital in a real-world setting. VC Observers will shadow a venture capitalist and have a seat at the table as the professional investor evaluates new startup companies for venture investment. The selected VC Observers will also get to listen to dozens of entrepreneurs give their elevator pitches and respond to questions about their startups. This is an exceptional educational opportunity for faculty, staff and students alike. If you are interested in being a VC Observer, please email Amy Pollock at amp29@psu.edu to learn about the nomination process. Participants will be selected in August/September 2023.

Student Participation

Penn State undergraduate students may be designated by their unit's ALC leader as recipients of one or both complimentary registrations. In addition, there are multiple ways that Penn State students can participate in the IPSVIP; participation or selection in any of the channels below does not preclude participation in another; i.e., a student is eligible to participate in multiple tracks below.

Student Startup Competition

Past finalists from the Summer Founders Program and Inc. U Competition will have an opportunity to give a one minute pitch at the IPSVIP. Finalist will be provided a complimentary registration.

Penn State student founders are welcome to apply to present at the Venture Connection session of the IPSVIP. Selected companies will connect with investors in an intimate, dynamic format. During Venture Connection, investors will host breakout room meetings with entrepreneurs who have been pre-screened and matched with them based on capital needs, industry, and other key criteria. The breakout rooms will rotate periodically, giving startup founders the opportunity to meet with numerous investors in a timeframe of a few hours. Click here to start a Venture Connection application.

VC Observers

There will be an opportunity for Penn State faculty, staff or students to be “VC Observers” during the Venture Connection sessions of the Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference in order to learn about the process of securing venture capital in a real-world setting. VC Observers will shadow a venture capitalist and have a seat at the table as the professional investor evaluates new startup companies for venture investment. The selected VC Observers will also get to listen to dozens of entrepreneurs give their elevator pitches and respond to questions about their startups. This is an exceptional educational opportunity for faculty, staff and students alike. If you are interested in being a VC Observer, please email Amy Pollock at amp29@psu.edu to learn about the nomination process. Participants will be selected in August/September 2023.