The 2026 Venture Showcase, hosted by USC Iovine and Young Academy, spotlights emerging ideas from the next generation of purpose-driven innovators and entrepreneurs at the Academy. Our dynamic program focuses on cultivating innovation at the potent intersection of technology, design, business, culture and community, giving student and alumni companies the opportunity to present their products, services, and technologies to industry investors and leaders for funding and a lightning round of feedback. Some participating companies will also have the chance to win $85,000 in prizes that aim to propel their ventures to the next stage of their founder journey.

The Venture Showcase caps off our year-long Innovation Quest – a program designed to spark creativity, entrepreneurship, and community. After the Founders Bootcamp, Ignite Grants, and our upcoming Gen AI Hackathon, it’s a great opportunity for students and alumni to present breakthrough ventures, receive expert feedback, and propel their ideas forward.

Learn more about this year's participating companies here!

2026 Venture Showcase Participating Companies

Watch the highlights from 2025's Venture Showcase

2025 Venture Showcase

Watch the highlights from 2024's Venture Showcase

The IYA Venture Showcase hosted by IYA, spotlights emerging ideas from the next generation of purpose-driven innovators and entrepreneurs at the Academy. Our dynamic program focuses on cultivating innovation at the potent intersection of technology, design, business, culture and community, giving student and alumni companies the opportunity to present their products, services, and technologies to industry investors and leaders for funding and a lightning round of feedback.

IYA Venture Showcase 2024

The Venture Showcase seeks to discover and invest in early-stage ventures whose ideas have the potential for significant and scalable impact.

Venture Showcase applications are open to current Academy undergrad students, current graduate students, and undergraduate and graduate alumni are invited to apply. Teams must have at least one Academy student or alumnus in a leadership role on the team. Iovine and Young faculty and administration will review submitted proposals and select finalists. Note: Alumni-led ventures are not eligible for a cash prize. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 

Originality and creativity: An integrated approach spanning feasibility, desirability, and viability, informed by a clearly defined and well-understood problem space.

Desirability: Addressing a complex societal need that has been validated through qualitative engagement (e.g., interviews, observation) and/or quantitative signals, while considering the perspectives and incentives of all relevant stakeholders.

Feasibility: Assessing whether the required technologies exist or can be reasonably developed within the project scope, and whether the team demonstrates sufficient domain expertise, lived experience, or sustained proximity to the problem to execute effectively.

Viability: Demonstrating an understanding of the economic model, including the costs to manufacture, distribute, market, and implement, grounded in realistic assumptions informed by validation.

Potential reach: Evaluating the scale and depth of impact on individuals, groups, or communities, based on evidence of demand rather than hypothetical adoption.

Completion Level: Determining the degree of progress beyond an idea, including what has already been built, tested, or validated, and the number and nature of steps remaining for implementation.

This year, we are excited to introduce two new prizes to recognize and reward the exceptional talent within the IYA community:

GenAI Prize: Focused on ventures leveraging or developing proprietary GenAI technologies and is underwritten by USC’s Office of Research & Innovation. Open to teams with at least one currently enrolled USC student.

IYA Social Impact Prize: Celebrates ventures that make a meaningful and positive impact on society. Teams must include one IYA undergraduate or graduate student as a co-founder.

IYA Innovation Prize: Celebrates ventures that demonstrate outstanding creativity and innovation. Teams must include one IYA undergraduate or graduate student as a co-founder.

Most Backable Venture Award: Funded by Genius Ventures and judged independenltly by Genius Ventures GPs, Ben Taft (Academy Alum member and Board of Councilors) and Adam Gefkovicz. Focused on new companies built for long-term success and growth potential.

Note: Alumni-led ventures are not eligible for a cash prize but are encouraged to apply and participate in the showcase and present your ventures to industry investors and leaders. USC Iovine and Young faculty, administration, and industry experts will review submitted proposals and select finalists.

We are no longer accepting applications for the 2026 Venture Showcase.

All applications will be thoroughly reviewed by a diverse council of faculty and industry leaders and winners have already been announced. For questions about the application, please email IYAIQ@usc.edu. 

Witness industry thought-leading panelists and IYA founders in action and gain insights into the Venture Showcase experience through the video from 2023's event below! 

IYA Venture Showcase 2023

Academy graduates are launching new ventures and startups at unprecedented rates, with student startups garnering significant venture funding and industry recognition. Here's a snapshot of recent startups to come out of the Academy.  

Feast Fearlessly: Nomi is the Digital Menu Restaurants Have Been Waiting For

Finding Purpose in Repurpose: An alum Gives Foam a Second Life

Virtual Reality Design For All: How Playbook is Simplifying VR Creation

Transforming the Way Content Creators Do Business

Academy Freshman Builds Startup on the Cutting Edge of Decentralized Finance

Y Combinator-Backed Project Wren Aiming to Make Carbon Offsets More Consumer Friendly

The Venture Showcase spotlights emerging ventures from the next generation of purpose-driven innovators and entrepreneurs at the Academy. Select student startups pitch their bold ideas to a live audience and a panel of advisors for funding and a lightning round of feedback.

2025 Venture Showcase Participating Companies

2024 IYA VENTURE SHOWCASE PARTICIPATING COMPANIES

IYA Venture Showcase spotlights emerging ventures from the next generation of purpose-driven innovators and entrepreneurs at the Academy. Select student startups pitch their bold ideas to a live audience and a panel of advisors for funding and a lightning round of feedback.