uc santa cruz's premier

    intensive product lab

    we transform ambitious builders into startup founders through our intensive 10-week product lab, building fire companies with real venture potential.

    what we do

    company acceleration

    • 10-week intensive programs building real companies
    • elite founder teams matched to venture-worthy opportunities
    • accelerator-style mentorship focused on company building

    founder development

    • intensive workshops on company building and leadership
    • practical training in fundraising and business strategy
    • founder mentorship and guidance from successful entrepreneurs

    product lab projects

    • rapid prototyping of venture-ready companies
    • team-based intensive company development
    • demo days and investor pitch competitions

    venture networking

    • investor and founder speaker events and panels
    • networking with VCs and successful startup founders
    • funding and investment opportunity assistance

    our approach: speed & execution

    learn fast

    we teach company building concepts at breakneck pace, diving straight into hands-on applications. no lengthy theoretical lectures—just practical founder skills you can use immediately.

    build fast

    we build real companies in weeks, not months. our intensive product lab transforms builders into founders through rapid, focused company creation.

    win fast

    we've built 10+ successful companies with our cutthroat approach to entrepreneurship. we don't just participate—we build to win and showcase our founders' exceptional abilities.

    connect fast

    we connect founders to funding opportunities—fast. our investor partnerships and network help members secure funding and partnerships at leading venture firms.

    our impact

    100+

    founders trained

    30+

    companies launched

    20+

    ventures funded

    10+

    successful exits

    recent companies built

    ai-powered fintech startup

    predictive trading platform with $500K seed funding (built in 10 weeks)

    personalized learning company

    adaptive education platform with 10K+ users (built in 10 weeks)

    ai customer insights platform

    B2B SaaS with $1M ARR potential (built in 10 weeks)

    ready to build your fire company?