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The Hatchery

Located on Cal Poly’s campus in Building 2, Room 206, the CIE Hatchery is a student incubator, where students from all colleges and majors come together to gain hands-on experience launching a company. Through mentorship, periodic workshops and startup assignments, student entrepreneurs receive the resources they need to iterate faster and to find a sustainable startup business model.

In addition, students develop essential entrepreneurial skills in coachability, goal setting, communication and leadership. The Hatchery is open to all Cal Poly students interested in learning how to take a business from idea generation to launch.

 Apply to the Hatchery

Upcoming Events

Builder Bootcamp | Feb. 6th-8th | CIE HotHouse

Join fellow student innovators for an intensive weekend to transform your idea into a real-world prototype. Open to teams and individuals developing both physical and digital prototypes from senior projects, research or other classes and clubs. If you are interested in applying to Innovation Quest or the Summer Accelerator, this is a great way to get a head start.

Why apply?
– Up to $150 dollars to spend on your prototype
– Mentorship and exclusive networking with executive & past founders
– Early coaching for Innovation Quest & the Summer Accelerator
– Free meals throughout the weekend

The deadline for applications is Friday, January 23rd. If you have any questions, please reach out to Sophie Hosbein (shosbein@calpoly.edu).
 Apply to Builder Bootcamp

Questions about the Hatchery?

Email Hatchery staff at hatchery@calpoly.edu
Sign up for Hatchery Office Hours

Prepare

The center prepares students to become emerging leaders and career ready entrepreneurs who generate innovative solutions to real-world problems, research promising technologies and develop sustainable businesses.

Elevator Pitch winners Owen Works and Camille Boiteux holding their $1,000 and $500 awarded checks.

Elevator Pitch Competition

You know that idea you’ve always had? The one you think could make you millions? Well, this is your chance to share that idea with the world and possibly win $1,000. The Elevator Pitch Competition gives students 90 seconds to pitch their best idea to a panel of entrepreneurs and compete for cash prizes.

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Startup Launch Weekend

Starting a business usually requires months (or even years) of preparation. At Startup Launch Weekend, though, we give you only 54 hours to build a business with a team of strangers. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find out what it takes to produce a viable startup in the modern world.

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The Hatchery

At the CIE, we understand that your best ideas can arrive before your diploma. In fact, the startups that change the world often begin in dorm rooms and classrooms. We designed the Hatchery to shape and grow student-led startups, enabling students to develop the proper tools for building a business from scratch.

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Innovation Quest

A great startup requires more than just a great idea; it needs support from the market, clients and investors. Innovation Quest (iQ) serves as the support system that provides the fuel for great ideas. With a $15,000 grand prize and over $10,000 in additional prize money, iQ can transform your idea into a financially-backed endeavor.

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Camp PolyHacks

Cal Poly is home to some of the most creative programmers and designers in the world, so Camp PolyHacks we created a student-run, multidisciplinary hackathon dedicated to social entrepreneurship and human-centered design.

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