33 startups were accepted for the eLab student startup accelerator fall cohort, and 15 will advance to the spring cohort. These startups have made significant progress and identified a viable pathway to a scalable business.
The student startups progressing to the spring semester have undergone intensive entrepreneurial training, including feasibility analyses, business model development, and mentorship from industry experts and Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIRs).
“This spring, my goal with The Period Box is to move from insight to action, turning real conversations with women into launching a product that helps them discover period care that works for their life stage,” said Zoe Schulte, MBA ’26, founder of The Period Box. This personalized period care service delivers a curated box of menstrual products to customers’ doors.
Throughout the fall, students attended boot camps and refined their business strategies, and even those who did not progress to the spring cohort received critical insights through workshops and one-on-one guidance from EIRs, helping them refine their ideas and explore new opportunities.
“The eLab program is a fantastic place for our student founders to drive their businesses toward launch. The 15 teams we have in the program this term have put in countless hours meeting customers, refining business models, and validating the need for their businesses over the past 6 months. Now they get to turn their focus to enacting plans and resourcing their companies, so they are ready to conquer the world as they complete their eLab experience,” said Greg Ray, PhD ‘14, the Don & Margi Berens Professor of Entrepreneurship at the SC Johnson College of Business.
The teams advancing to the spring semester will be dedicated to further developing their business models, expanding their networks, and positioning themselves for potential venture capital funding. There will be opportunities to present their ideas and progress to potential investors and the Cornell entrepreneurial network, including a West Coast event, “Cornell Silicon Valley: Student Startup Showcase,” from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. PT on March 26 at the Autodesk Gallery in San Francisco.
“These events are a great way for founders to share their businesses, get feedback, and continue refining their pitch. Just as importantly, they open the door to new connections that can help carry their businesses forward,” said Ken Rother, Instructor & Director Emeritus.
eLab student entrepreneurs will also pitch their businesses on eLab Demo Day, Thursday, April 9, at 4:30 p.m. ET, during the Entrepreneurship at Cornell Celebration Ezra.
Here are the students and startups taking part in the eLab spring semester:
- Arcoeur, Muhammad Hisham ’27
- Arqen Labs, Jacob Michael Potoczak, MBA ’26
- BUZZ, Melissa Chowdhury ’28
- Cervicheck, George Zeng ’27, Charlotte Wu ’28, Sally Scofield ’27
- GO2, Christopher A. Archer, MBA ’26
- Heera, Gurkaran Ahuja MPS ’26
- KATHA, Niko Tsavekou ’27
- LifeQuest, Tyler Hein, MBA ’26
- Lucra, Kate Barclay ’26, Sia Chitnis ’25, Trisha Saini ’26, Jesse Koppel ’26
- MedSimAI, Yann Hicke, PhD ’27
- MODE, Matthew Lew ’26, Andrew Chiu ’26, Kyle Chan ’27, Spenser Wu ’26
- Novl, Orazio Petito ’27
- PartumCare Now, Carmyn Polk, MBA ’26
- RepaintWiz, Tanush Korgaokar, MPS ’25, Tomas Šiurna, MPS ’26, Kedar Mhetre, MEM ’26, Sarvadnya Mahajan, MEM ’26
- The Period Box, Zoe Schulte, MBA ’26