Olympus Incubator Program
Bridging the gap between cutting edge university research and economy-promoting commercialization for the benefit of our communities.
View the Project Olympus Advisory Council
What is Project Olympus?
Project Olympus offers support and resources for CMU faculty, students, alumni, and staff who want to turn their cutting-edge research and great ideas into startups. Project Olympus is open to CMU entrepreneurs at any stage, from concept to business creation. At Project Olympus you will learn how to find product/market fit and develop a feasible business model to attract funding that will take your venture to the next level.
Who is eligible?
Project Olympus is open to teams with at least one CMU affiliate founder (faculty, staff, undergrad, grad, postdoc, alumni).
Ready to apply?
Applications are on a rolling basis, click here to get the support to help your startup be a success!
Questions?
You can email Matthew Katsaros, Program Adminstrator if you have questions.
Team
Meredith Meyer Grelli
Managing Director & Interim Exec Director, Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship; Assistant Dean of Entrepreneurship Initiatives, School of Computer Science; Director, Project Olympus; Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship, Tepper School of Business
mmgrelli@andrew.cmu.edu
Founding Visionary
Lenore Blum: Entrepreneurial Pioneer at CMU
Lenore Blum has been a foundational force in establishing Carnegie Mellon University's entrepreneurial ecosystem, notably serving as Distinguished Career Professor of Computer Science, Deans’ Professor in Technology Entrepreneurship, and Faculty Director of the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. Among her most noteworthy contributions is the founding of the Project Olympus Incubator in 2007.
As a proof-of-concept innovation center, Project Olympus became a core foundation of the university's startup culture, bridging cutting-edge university research with economy-promoting commercialization. Project Olympus has been a remarkable engine for innovation, supporting the creation of numerous successful businesses, resulting in over $1 billion in follow-on funding for CMU-affiliated entrepreneurs and 22 exited companies, including Duolingo.
Lenore has been instrumental in securing funding and establishing many of CMU’s key entrepreneurship initiatives. Through her visionary leadership, she launched the Olympus Spark Grants and the Innovation Commercialization Fellows program, and brought the National Science Foundation I-Corps program to CMU. Her influential 2010 White Paper was key to the successful proposal for the $15 million McCune Big Ideas grant, leading to the creation of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the precursor to the Swartz Center. She also began the popular Olympus Show & Tells in 2007, opening the university's talent and innovations to the wider regional and global communities, solidifying her role as a catalyst for economic growth in the Pittsburgh region. The Show & Tell series has evolved into the newly launched Startup Week and Lab to Market initiatives in 2025.
Also in 2007, Lenore's work helped launch both the CONNECTS series and the the Project Olympus startup project (PROBE) program. The PROBES program later evolved into the current Customer Discovery Kickstarter program, which helps support idea stage startups.
Read more about Lenore's tremendous impact on CMU entrepreneurship and the field of computer science.
What Are People Saying?
“Project Olympus has been incredibly valuable to us in the infant stages of our company by providing mentoring, advice, a home base location, and connections within the Project Olympus network. Having someone outside of the company to give us unbiased thoughts and opinions from their experiences in entrepreneurship is critical to keeping an open mind and keeping the company on track.”- Kelly Collier, CEO, ActivAided Orthotics *Acquired*
"Incubating Advanced Optronics Inc at Project Olympus has greatly accelerated our growth and development. Olympus gave us the space to develop our product, grow our team, and meet with customers and investors, helping us to secure our first SBIR grant and major investment. Thanks Project Olympus!"- Jay Reddy, Founder, Advanced Optronics Inc
"The Project Olympus Customer Discovery Kickstart program provided invaluable support and guidance. We collaborated with visionary mentors and industry experts, gaining crucial insights that validated our core problem statement and shaped our value proposition. The program's platform allowed us to showcase our progress, build vital connections, and equipped us to navigate the entrepreneurial journey."- Shilpa Jais-Stewart, Co-Founder, Auntie LLC
"The Project Olympus incubator provided me with the much-needed network of truly world-class advisors that helped me start and build my business when I was a student at Carnegie Mellon. It literally felt like having access to a team of superheroes – each with their own area of strength and deep expertise. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur studying at Carnegie Mellon University, you should definitely apply to Project Olympus."
"Project Olympus is an incredible place to build a technology startup. It's wonderful to work alongside other entrepreneurs that are tackling similar challenges, and to be part of a community that's willing to share experiences and help each other out. We've learned and grown a lot since joining Project Olympus."- Bradford Holden, Co-Founder, Resilient Lifescience
"Being a Founder is not a common career pathway for recent graduates of CMU, but Kit and the team go out of their way to help ambitious young people succeed. The generous amount of time that the team pours into the companies of both current students and alumni is unlike any other program in the region."- Michael Gee, Founder, Vetro
Thank you to our Swartz Center Patrons
