Impact

The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization comprising U.S. and international universities, and governmental and nonprofit research institutes, with more than 4,000 individual inventor members and fellows spanning more than 250 institutions worldwide.

Of the 1,060 NAI fellows, USC represents 40 of them, and has one of the largest chapters in the United States.

USC and Techstars Digital Economy Program is an incredible opportunity for innovative pre-seed companies to accelerate their growth rate, make a quantum leap in their business, and tap into the vibrant USC ecosystem. The accelerator will welcome its inaugural cohort in March of 2025. Companies will be paired with mentors both in and out of the university, and be able to tap into the full resources of a major research institution. The accelerator is open to startups in all industries, but with a particular focus on bioscience, engineering, AI, healthcare, deep tech, and media technology.

In April 2024, the Stevens Center was proud to host the USC community for the Techstars Startup Weekend, the inaugural event of the USC and Techstars Digital Economy Program. It served as the kick-off for the partnership and invited participants to meet and network with mentors, investors, co-founders, and sponsors to help launch their entrepreneurial journey over the course of the 3-day event. The event provided an opportunity for participants to not only expand their networks but also to see the immense value of multidisciplinary collaborative efforts at USC.

The Office of Research and Innovation video series spotlight the innovative, impactful work being led across the university by USC faculty. The videos highlight topics ranging from sustainability to artificial intelligence, with a precedent placed on key disciplines relevant to the university’s strategic priority areas.

This flagship event offered thousands of dollars in USC-sponsored prizes to winning teams and ideas. Each year student teams pitched an extraordinary range of inventions, startups and prototypes to faculty and leaders from the local venture, entrepreneur, and business community. The winners all have interesting stories to tell and amazing innovation to share.