Ignition is Indiana’s statewide launchpad for collegiate founders.
Ignition is an 8 week, cohort-based program powered by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. It is designed to help collegiate founders validate their ventures, refine their MVPs, and connect with Indiana’s startup ecosystem. Participants gain access to mentors, investors, and statewide peers, and leave the program ready for accelerators, to attract capital, and scale their venture.
The Spring 2026 cohort kicks off in February and runs through April, combining weekly virtual workshops with in-person meetups at Indiana’s home for innovation.
Join a statewide community of builders, makers, and founders who are shaping what’s next — and doing it right here in Indiana.
Timeline:
- Applications open January 5
- Info session for Ignition February 3: SIGN UP
- Applications for Ignition close February 16 at midnight
- Program Dates
- Week of 2/23, Kickoff and Collegiate Entrepreneur Summit (in-person)
- Week of 3/2, Product Market Fit/Customer Discovery session (hybrid)
- Week of 3/9, Marketing/Sales session (hybrid)
- Week of 3/16: Perfecting your Elevator Pitch/Telling your Story session (hybrid)
- Week of 3/24: Networking/Mentor session (In-person)
- Week of 3/30: Legal/IP session (Hybrid)
- Week of 4/6: Funding & Future Growth session (hybrid)
- Week of 4/13: Showcase Day (in-person)
Want to help support these collegiate founders?
We’re looking for experienced entrepreneurs, investors, operators, and industry experts to support our next cohort of collegiate founders. There are three ways to get involved. Whether you can commit to the full 8 weeks or just one afternoon, your experience matters. Mentors provide guidance and perspective, and you’ll help founders navigate early decisions, ask better questions, and build real ventures.
