Once a founder has clarity, the next step is execution. The Innov8 Hub Innovator to Founder program is designed to support UH researchers, students, and early-stage teams who are ready to move from planning to building. Whether you're developing a grant strategy, forming a team, or preparing to raise funding, this program helps you lay the groundwork for a successful launch.

About the Program

Innov8 Hub Innovator to Founder is a structured, 12-week accelerator focused on moving early-stage ventures forward. Founders meet weekly with advisors and cohort peers to work through essential aspects of business design, including market fit, value proposition, customer discovery, and go-to-market strategy.

Sessions are practical and collaborative, emphasizing active progress over theory. Along the way, founders receive personalized feedback and targeted support from experienced advisors, helping them refine their model and build real traction.

The program culminates in Pitch Day, where participants present their ventures to an audience of investors and partners from across the UH innovation ecosystem. It’s not just a pitch—it’s a launch point. 

Thank you to our Sponsors!

What You Will Build

By the end of the program, participants will have developed two key outcomes:

• A Complete Business Plan and Pitch Deck: Founders define their customer, market, and business model in a clear, fundable format.

• A Real-World Go-to-Market Strategy: A focused, actionable plan to move from concept to customers, whether that’s through funding, partnerships, or early sales.

• A Commercialization Strategy : Founders get access to the Intellectual property from OTTI and a strategy to protect with resources to do it
• Showcase your venture: Founders will participate in a Pitch competition at the end of the program with pro-bono services and cash prizes

These tools are designed to support next steps like applying for SBIR/STTR grants, recruiting talent, or engaging investors.

WKI Methodology

The WKI Design Your Business methodology is a hands-on, visual framework that helps innovators define the business value of their ideas. Through 13 structured design tools, participants sketch, model, and discuss their ideas to uncover product–market fit, customer needs, and competitive advantages. Used by over 25,000 innovators in 27 countries, this proven, conversation-driven approach transforms creative concepts into actionable business opportunities through collaboration and visual thinking.

Who Should Apply

• UH researchers, faculty, staff, or students with a validated concept
• Innovators ready to pursue funding or commercialization
• Startup teams building around UH-licensed technology
• Individuals seeking momentum, mentorship, and structured execution

You don’t need a full team or product to apply. You simply need a well-developed idea, and the commitment to move it forward.

Eligibility

• UH faculty, students, or staff with a defined idea and a lead founder identified (Faculty, Postdoc, Staff or Student)
• Ideas/projects backed with research data and validation
• Ventures pursuing SBIR/STTR funding or preparing to pitch
• Startups built for the purpose of commercializing UH intellectual property
• Founders ready to develop, build, and present their venture

Expectations

• Commitment to attend 3-hour in person meeting every week for 12 weeks
• 1-hour of pre-work every week
• Participate in the Pitch competition 

How to Apply

The Innovator to Founder program runs each semester (Fall and Spring).  Applications are now closed for Fall 2025 cohort.