UMD I-Corps
The Maryland Innovation Extension is an Economic Development Administration (EDA) University Center, with additional support coming from matching partners at the UM Ventures Baltimore Fund, TEDCO MII, TEDCO RBII, TEDCO UBII, TEDCO Federal Programs and the University System of Maryland (USM). Through the extension, the University of Maryland, along with partner institutions Bowie State University, Morgan State University, Coppin State University, and the University of Baltimore, is collaborating to bring entrepreneurial resources to the entire state of Maryland, with a particular focus on external partnerships and community entrepreneurs working on deep tech/research-based innovations.
The primary resources offered to current and aspiring deep tech Maryland entrepreneurs include:
Startup Fundamentals Workshops ↓I-Corps Customer Discovery short courses ↓Please see below to access any of these resources, or contact us to find out more. You can also follow our LinkedIn Page by clicking the icon below.
inAccess to free, high-quality entrepreneurship training can be hard to find. The Maryland Innovation Extension leverages existing entrepreneurial resources at our partner schools to offer practical workshops in many subjects, ranging from how to set up accounting books to how to approach a venture capitalist.
Workshops are usually offered 1-2 times per week. Participants who wish to attend live will be able to come and ask their questions directly to expert presenters.
Many of these workshops are recorded, and are viewable on the Startup UMD YouTube channel.
SIGN UP FOR A WORKSHOP »I-Corps training has a proven track record in helping entrepreneurs to rapidly create and test their business models using real customer feedback. Through the Maryland Innovation Extension, I-Corps training is free for all Maryland-based deep tech entrepreneurs.
Please note that the program has a limited capacity. Priority will be given to individuals with a connection to our extension partner institutions.
I-Corps short courses are offered multiple times per year. Please review the program details page to learn more about the structure of the program and review the upcoming cohorts page for a list of upcoming programs.
Additionally, if you do not currently have an idea but want to potentially join a current I-Corps team, please fill out the teammate request form below.
IMPACT REPORT 2025
334
Teams/Startups Served
426
Program Participants
$63.6M
Funding Raised by Teams
491
Jobs Created
157
Companies Created
Primary Resources Offered
1,360
Startup Fundamentals Workshops
$446M
I-Corps Customer Discovery Short Courses
Pictured: Vice President for Research Gregory Ball, center, poses with members of the University of Maryland Office of Innovation at the 2024 Deshpande Symposium on Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Higher Education.
Mildred Diggs, founder of Journiy and participant in regional I-Corps and I-Corps Next in 2023, won top prize for the Robyn and David Quattrone Tech Track during the Pitch Dingman Competition in April 2024 for $25,000.
Joyson Balisamore, a 2024 regional and I-Corps Next student participant from the University of Baltimore, pitched in the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation's 12th Annual “Rise to the Challenge” business pitch competition in May 2024, and won a Baltimore Fund Award for $6,000.
Astek Diagnostics Inc., led by Mustafa Al-Adhami, a graduate student from UMBC who participated in regional I-Corps in 2022, received a $90,000 MIPS project award in August 2024.
In August 2024, Paul Aiyetan, founder of NEOPATHOLOGY CORP, who participated in regional and I-Corps Next in 2023, received TEDCO RBII funding for $25,000. TEDCO's RBII was designed to enhance technology commercialization and provide technical and business assistance to small and early-stage companies based in rural Maryland.
In August 2024, Alyssa Lucero, Siyoung Ha, and Peter (Bi-dar) Wang, researchers and faculty members at UMES, were awarded $50,000 to participate in NSF National I-Corps Teams for their RNA-based cancer therapy technology.
In August 2024, Ziping Wang and Gregory Ramsey, researchers and faculty members at Morgan State, applied for a $50,000 NSF National I-Corps Teams grant to support MythoLogix, an educational technology solution for supply chains.
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The advisers at Mtech gave us the business and customer development tools we needed to grow from technology inventors into technology entrepreneurs.”
Taylor Myers
CTO, MF Fire
