LOS ANGELES, CA — The USC Iovine and Young Academy (IYA) is excited to announce a new collaboration with Microsoft for Startups, set to provide student led ventures and  innovation through IYA's flagship annual initiative, Innovation Quest. This collaboration will provide resources, technology access, and industry mentorship to empower qualified student-led ventures at the intersection of business, technology, and creative practice.

Starting October 1, 2024, qualified Innovation Quest startups will receive:

Access to leading AI technologies like Azure Open AI Service including OpenAI GPT’s 3.5 Turbo and GPT-4o.  

Exclusive access to Microsoft's Founders Hub

Guidance from over 1,600 experts in engineering, marketing, and sales

"We are thrilled to launch this collaboration with Microsoft for Startups," said Thanassis Rikakis, Dean of the USC Iovine and Young Academy. "With Microsoft's support, we can offer qualified student ventures access to tools, technology and mentorship, helping them push the boundaries and create real-world impact."

Innovation Quest: From Bootcamp to Venture Showcase

The Innovation Quest program follows a comprehensive journey:

Bootcamp: Participants kickstart their entrepreneurial journey with an intensive learning experience.

Ignite Grants: Select teams receive acceleration funding and mentorship to develop Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) in Gen AI, social impact, and innovation spaces.

Annual Venture Showcase: The program culminates in April with a showcase where student-led ventures present their solutions across three tracks:

"Innovation Quest is designed to guide student founders on their journey from garage-born ideas towards tackling large societal challenges on a potential global stage," said Tina Sharkey, Director of Innovation Quest and Lecturer in the Business of Innovation at IYA. "Our collaboration  with Microsoft provides valuable tools and mentorship to support this ambitious path. In today's landscape, AI serves as both a disruptive force and an enabling tool. We're preparing students to harness AI's potential, whether they're exploring AI-centric concepts or using it to amplify innovations that address critical issues across various domains."

Hans Yang, General Manager of Microsoft for Startups, shared: “We’re excited to collaborate with IYA to accelerate the next generation of Trojan innovators and builders. Microsoft is committed to providing access to the Azure and AI tools, technology, and expertise to supercharge their path to scale.”

This collaboration extends beyond Innovation Quest, opening doors for USC IYA students to demonstrate their innovations to the broader entrepreneurial and tech communities. Interested participants can email iyaiq@usc.edu to learn more about these resources and acceleration opportunities.

The USC Iovine and Young Academy offers a unique educational experience combining art, technology, design, and business. It aims to cultivate the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs, fostering creative and critical thinking to solve some of the world's most pressing challenges.

USC Iovine and Young Academy Partners with Microsoft for Startups to Power Next Generation AI through Innovation Quest

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