The Venture Showcase 2025, 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 prizes that aim to propel their ventures to the next stage of their founder journey. These signature prizes include: 

GenAI Prize: Focused on ventures leveraging or developing proprietary GenAI technologies and is underwritten by USC’s Office of the Senior Vice President of Research and 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.

Genius Ventures Award for Most Backable IYA Startup: Focused on new companies built for long-term success and growth potential.

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 last year's participating companies HERE!

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 (excluding current freshmen), current graduate students, and undergraduate and graduate alumni (who graduated in 2023 or 2024) 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 resulting in an integrated approach spanning feasibility, desirability and viability components and providing new and unexpected connections •

Desirability in terms of addressing a complex societal need and considering perspectives of all potential stakeholders that may be impacted through the innovation 

Feasibility in terms of whether the technologies engaged exist or can be developed within the project scope 

Viability, including costs to manufacture, distribute, market, implement, etc.

Potential reach or scope in terms of numbers and types of individuals, groups, or communities that may benefit from the proposed idea 

Level of completion, including number and nature of remaining steps to implementation

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

GenAI Prize: Open to teams with one currently enrolled USC student. This category focuses on ventures utilizing or developing GenAI technologies.

IYA Social Impact Prize: Open to teams that include at least one IYA undergraduate or graduate student as a co-founder. This prize celebrates ventures making a meaningful and positive societal impact.

IYA Innovation Prize: Open to teams that include at least one IYA undergraduate or graduate student as a co-founder. This prize recognizes ventures demonstrating exceptional creativity and innovation.

Genius Ventures Award for Most Backable IYA Startup: Open to all Academy student-led startups participating in the 2025 Venture Showcase. The Genius Ventures team will be judging new ventures based on each team’s vision, viability, and capacity at scale.

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.

Applications for the Venture Showcase were due by Friday, March 7, at 12:00 AM PST. 

All applications will be thoroughly reviewed by a diverse council of faculty and industry leaders. The Innovation Quest is co-led by Business of Innovation faculty Tina Sharkey, Chris Swain, JM Arnoult. 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.

The Iovine and Young Academy Venture Showcase

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