There are two Venture Lab tracks. One is an elective of IE Business School's IMBA program, and the other track is for all IE non-IMBA students and IE alumni.
The information below is ONLY for IMBA students Full-Time Students that will take Venture Lab as a part of their electives.
If you are a dual degree student or have a team with co-founders not from IMBA, please speak with the IMBA office regarding your options.
Crucial Dates for IMBA Venture Lab Spring 2024 (April - July 2023)
Crucial Dates for IMBA Venture Lab FALL 2024 (September - November 2024)
Our next incubator intake is September 2023 and culminates with Venture Day in December 2023.
Teams must consist of at least 3 team members (seeking elective credit) and no more than 4 team members. (Exceptions will be made for IMBA teams from the Startup Lab of 5 members, but we highly advise against such large teams at such an early stage).
Individuals can only participate in one Venture Lab application, i.e. individuals can neither submit more than one startup-idea application (as team leader), nor can they be team members on more than one Venture Lab application (simultaneously in a single round).
What are the selection criteria on which acceptance decisions are based?
The Selection process will consist of Committee Reviews of the applications, based on the Selection Criteria. Acceptance decisions will be announced via email.
The 3 main selection criteria are:
We seek applications from dynamic teams who put forth innovative (novel, extraordinary, revolutionary) ideas, solutions and business models; preferably those that incorporate emerging technologies into their solutions (products/services) and/or business models.
We seek applications for proposals that are scalable and potentially attractive for angel investors and venture capitalists.
We seek applications from innovative teams who are passionate about solving the problem they’ve identified and absolutely committed to executing a prototype of their scalable solution during Venture Lab and who are committed to working on their projects full-time and turning them into launched startups upon graduation.
No, the two programs are completely separate and different. In the SUL you dedicate 5 weeks exclusively to attending classes and working in teams on your startup project. In SUL all business ideas are feasible and anyone who wants to participate is eligible. Every Friday you make a pitch and the momentum is fast and forced!
In Venture Lab, the dynamic is radically different. Venture Lab is the only IMBA elective that you must apply and be accepted to participate. We only accept ideas with scalable business models and high-growth markets. Large teams are strongly discouraged. We are seeking the most committed and enthusiastic teams who want to launch after graduation. All other students are encouraged to explore other electives that are designed to continue to guide and support you in your entrepreneurial journey (like the Knowledge Incubator, for example).
In Venture Lab, the momentum and drive is designed and expected to come from the teams themselves. While there are academic obligations required for all IMBA teams, the additional resources and support are personalized for each teams. You will get out of the Venture Lab, what YOU put into it. There are no classes per se in the Venture Lab for IMBA teams. You will receive mentoring and access to industry experts as well as the option of participating in one-to-one clinics (Legal; Digital Marketing, Branding & PR; TechTeam Planning; Human Team Dynamics, etc.) as well workshops on topics such as Wireframes & Prototyping your MVP, Dynamic Equity, Productivity & Execution, etc. and you will receive specialized mentoring from early-stage investors in general and related to pitching.
Venture Lab sessions are conducted in English and in-person attendance is mandatory.
However, IMBA elective teams are permitted to submit deliverables in Spanish. You may also conduct your final pitch in Spanish, but please know that if you are selected to pitch as a finalist or a semi-finalist at Venture Day then those pitches must be in English.
Yes, applications for Venture Lab can be filled out in either Spanish or English.
Yes, you must have at least 3 people on a team and you can have a maximum of 4 team members (some exceptions will be made for SUL teams of 5). IMBA teams must have at least 3 IMBA students on the team who are eligible for academic credit for Venture Lab (and therefore who are also taking Venture Lab for credit).
No, you may not. Individuals cannot be listed as team members on more than one application.
No, absolutely not. We do, however, reserve the right to brag about your success.
No, this is not true. Venture Lab is aimed at startup ideas that are innovative and scalable.
Therefore, we are looking for dynamic ventures that provide scalable solutions to big enough problems/markets that they can grow dramatically and be attractive to investors.
