UChicago Startup Investment Program
2026-08-30polsky.uchicago.edu
Overview
What they do
Launched in December 2016, the UChicago Startup Investment Program is a dedicated $25 million carve-out from the University of Chicago’s $7.1+ billion endowment. Overseen by the university's Office of Investments in collaboration with the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the program was established to foster innovation, commercialize university research, and attract venture capital to the Midwest. It acts strictly as a co-investor, providing matching capital to startups founded by university faculty, students, staff, or alumni. By participating in these rounds, the university leverages its institutional prestige to help founders close their Series A rounds and scale their operations.
polsky.uchicago.edu
What they look for
The program’s thesis is to co-invest alongside established venture capital funds in early-stage startups that possess a "significant affiliation" with the University of Chicago, thereby driving economic growth, supporting the campus entrepreneurial ecosystem, and generating returns for the university's endowment.
polsky.uchicago.edu
Stage
Series A, Series B+
polsky.uchicago.edu
Sectors
Fintech, Healthcare, SaaS, AI, Edtech, Consumer
polsky.uchicago.edu
Based
Chicago, US
polsky.uchicago.edu
Sources
2026-08-30mag.uchicago.eduThe Office of Investments, which manages the University's $7.1 billion endowment, will oversee…
2026-08-30polsky.uchicago.eduAn initiative through which the University coinvests alongside established venture funds in…
2026-08-30bahrainfintechbay.comTAIGER is the first recipient outside of the United States and the first in Singapore to…
Portfolio, cheque size and the rest
The 8 companies they have backed that we can see, the cheque they write, and whether they are deploying right now.
Start free, no cardFree accounts see every record.