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Launching Tomorrow’s Change-Makers

At the UC Davis Student Startup Center,
our mission is to help tomorrow’s
innovators launch, grow and sustain
startups that solve critical world problems.
To address complex global challenges like
food security, climate change and disease,
we must do things differently. We believe
that entrepreneurship offers vital tools for
making a positive difference in the world—
in all these areas and more. Together with
partners who share our vision, we are
committed to ensuring our students have
unique, first-hand opportunities to
leverage those tools to the fullest.

Support the Student Startup Center

Sponsor Benefits

Few places on the planet can match UC Davis as a launching pad for innovation and entrepreneurship. We’re close to Silicon Valley and its world-class technologies, talent and capital. We’re closer still to Sacramento, California’s capital, which leads the way in regulating these industries. Most importantly, we have some of the world’s foremost innovators in a wide array of fields—from agriculture and biomedicine to AI and veterinary science. It’s the perfect mix of ingredients for world-class tech startups.

So, whether a student wants to launch a startup now, has future career interests in entrepreneurship, or is focused on building key skills like tenacity, creativity and problem-solving, the Student Startup Center is exactly where they need to be.

Group of students working together at the Student Startup Center, UC Davis.

Sponsoring Student Startup Center programs offers partners unique opportunities to engage and receive elevated exposure, including:

  • Named programs through endowment

  • Partnership promotion in messaging to UC Davis students, faculty and

    alumni

  • Name / logo displayed in the SSC and featured prominently on event

    materials, in social media marketing,on the SSC website, and in the

    weekly newsletter

  • Acknowledgment during all events, including partner introductions

  • Opportunities to network with students and present or emcee at

    select events

  • Participation in Industry Leadership Council meetings

Donate Today

Give to Student Startup Center Fund

The UC Davis Student Startup Center (SSC) is an on-campus space where students can prototype ideas and collaborate on technology ventures. The space was designed as a creativity hub for learners and young entrepreneurs, and is equipped with resources to empower students at the earliest stages of their startup ideas. Gifts to the SSC support the development, launch and management of programs supporting entrepreneurship and innovation for our engineering students.

Major Gifts & Signature Programs

PLASMA Program

  • $60,000 annually or $1,500,000 to endow

PLASMA Demo Day: $10,000 annually

PLASMA Alumni Dinner: $5,000 annually

The capstone program of the SSC, PLASMA provides undergrad entrepreneurs with the tools and community they need to grow their companies. A 12-week accelerator program, PLASMA prepares founders for their formal launch. PLASMA culminates with Demo Day, when teams pitch in front of investors, business leaders and faculty members for cash prizes. At the end of the program, an Alumni Dinner recognizes former and current PLASMA founders and mentors.

Sponsor a Program

  • $10,000 per program annually or $250,000 to endow

The SSC hosts a half-dozen events per week. Sponsorship supports the execution of these critical ecosystem programs.

  • Build Black: For Black students looking for support in the startup ecosystem
  • Hack Nights: For students who want to build technology as fast as possible
  • InnovAmigis: For Hispanic students looking for support in the startup ecosystem
  • Idea Pitch Fests: For students willing to pitch their initial ideas and interested in getting feedback and rewards
  • Open Office Hours: For students who seek one-on-one mentorship and for mentors who want to share
  • Pitches & Popcorn: For students who learn best by evaluating others’ startup ideas
  • SkillBuilder: For students looking to gain the critical skills necessary to succeed in their ventures
  • Startup School: For students looking for their startup idea and their startup team
  • Startup Sprints: For students in the earliest stages of launching their idea
  • Talking 2 Humans: For students looking to get more comfortable with the uncomfortable
  • VCs @ UCD: For students who want to build their networks and learn from real-life investors

Entrepreneur-in-Residence teams

$5,000 per team annually or $125,000 to endow per team

Many of our entrepreneurs are first-generation college students or come from immigrant families, and many have had to abandon their ventures due to limited financial resources. EIR pays our students to operate their companies so that they can keep pushing until they’ve proven the startup’s viability.

Hacking 4… Classes

$25,000 per term or $625,000 to endow

Teams source critical problem ideas from industry partners and spend the quarter validating the financial viability of launching a company to solve that problem and the technical viability of a potential solution. Courses cover topics as wide- ranging as climate change, healthcare and AI.

Endowed Gifts

Naming the Student Startup Center

  • $10,000,000 to endow, including full funding for programs and staff and student positions

Endowing the SSC Excellence Fund

  • $2,500,000 to endow, including our capstone programs like PLASMA and the EIRs

Endowing the PLASMA program

  • $1,500,000 to endow the annual program

Endowing an Entrepreneur-in-Residence

  • $125,000 to endow one team annually

Other Gift Opportunities

The UC Davis Student Startup Center (SSC) is an on-campus space where students can prototype ideas and collaborate on technology ventures. The space was designed as a creativity hub for learners and young entrepreneurs, and is equipped with resources to empower students at the earliest stages of their startup ideas. Gifts to the SSC support the development, launch and management of programs supporting entrepreneurship and innovation for our engineering students.