The Academy and Microsoft for Startups have launched a partnership to provide our students and alumni with a range of exclusive benefits designed to help build their futures. This Innovation Quest resource will help propel ventures led by Academy founders and collaborators forward. 

Alongside Stanford, this makes the Academy and our Generative AI and Society Grant partners at Viterbi, Annenberg, and Rossier the only schools in California that now offer Level 2 Founders Hub access to our student founders and their teams. 

Through this collaboration, students gain free access to industry-leading AI services such as OpenAI, Phi-3 and Llama 3.1, expert guidance, and essential tools to accelerate the growth of their ventures and scale quickly.

All Innovation Quest startups will have access to:

Free access to leading AI models and quick-start templates

Tools and platforms like GitHub, Microsoft 365, LinkedIn Premium and more

Unlimited 1:1 meetings with technical and business experts

Potential nomination opportunity to compete in the Imagine Cup Semifinals in January 2025

Engaged in the development of a software-based product or service that will be a core part of your current or intended business

The software must be owned and not licensed from another party

Your startup has previously received less than $10,000 in free Azure credits

Your startup hasn't gone through a Series D or later funding round

Your startup is privately held and a for-profit business

Your startup isn't an educational institution, government entity, personal blog, dev shop, consultancy, agency, bitcoin, or crypto mining company

Click here to access the Microsoft Founders Hub.

Use your university associated email, e.g. xy@usc.edu in your Founders Hub application.

Select “USC – IYA Innovation Quest” as a Microsoft partner in your application to identify as an Innovation Quest startup.

Once you sign up, please send an email to IYAIQ@usc.edu with your team name and your co-founders names so the Innovation Quest team can track and advocate for you.

If you have any questions, please email IYAIQ@usc.edu and the Innovation Quest team will follow up with you directly.

USC and Academy resources for student-led ventures