An Invitation to all MIT Students to Learn and Experience Entrepreneurship
Seed Funding, Mentorship, and Entrepreneurship Education
MIT Sandbox provides seed funding, mentorship, and tailored entrepreneurship education that empowers student innovators to explore ideas, take risks, and prepare to launch. The goal of the program is to enable any MIT student — inspired to solve a problem with an innovative solution — to learn and experience entrepreneurship.
Interested in applying?
Spring 2024 applications will open on January 5th
Not a Competition
MIT Sandbox accepts teams at all stages of the start-up process who demonstrate a commitment to their idea and a willingness to invest in initial research and planning — the program is not a competition.
Many teams spend 12-18 months in the Sandbox developing into viable startups by leveraging guidance from experienced mentors, insights from startup-related experts, and up to $25K in non-dilutive, cumulative funding.
While it is rewarding to see teams launch successful startups, our mission is educational. Every student who participates in Sandbox gains insight into entrepreneurship and leadership that they will use throughout their careers.
For Gabrielle Finear ‘21, co-founder of Boon, working on two startup ideas in MIT Sandbox provided hands-on learning to complement her computer science coursework.
Opening the Door to Entrepreneurship
Each year, Sandbox opens the door to entrepreneurship for hundreds of undergraduate students, master’s students, and PhDs and provides a launchpad where they can strategize, experiment, and grow.
The program runs continuously with three application cycles — fall, spring, and summer. Each cohort is comprised of 350+ active Sandbox teams and 750+ individuals.
Entering teams participate in group mentoring, where they are introduced to a framework of foundational entrepreneurship and business concepts. Teams are encouraged to focus on preliminary market research and refining their problem definition/solution.
With encouragement from Sandbox mentors, Rhett James MBA/MCP ‘21 and Leyou Tameru developed and launched Afropup, an inclusive, social impact pet brand inspired by African and Black culture.
Supporting the Start-up Journey
As teams develop their idea within the Sandbox, they apply for additional funding to continue in-depth customer discovery and move into prototype development – often participating in several cohorts.
Teams applying for cumulative funding of $5K+ pitch their idea to the MIT Sandbox Funding Board, who provides feedback, advice and recommends funding up to a total of $25K. All Sandbox funding is non-dilutive and teams maintain rights to their intellectual property (IP).
During each cohort, advanced teams are paired with two mentors who provide personalized advice based on extensive entrepreneurial and management experience. They ensure the team is asking the right questions, developing a plan to validate their assumptions, and making connections with key contacts and resources that will help drive continued progress.
Strand Therapeutics co-founder Jake Becraft PhD '19 worked on a few startup ideas in the Sandbox, including Strand Therapeutics, which recently raised $52 million to research the use of mRNA to fight tumors.
A Learning Experience for All and a Life-altering Experience for Many
MIT Sandbox is often the foundation of a team’s startup journey. Some leverage the many other impactful MIT opportunities, including $100K Entrepreneurship Competition, D-Lab, PKG IDEAS, MTC delta v, Deshpande Center, Legatum Center, Venture Mentoring Services, and ICorps Spark; some are invited into external accelerators; and some go on to launch and create successful startups. Whether a team’s entrepreneurial journey continues beyond MIT or not, participating in Sandbox is a learning experience for all and a life-altering experience for many.
Emily Young ’18 started making motorcycle ambulance trailers in D-Lab:Design in 2016 and brought her idea to Sandbox in 2017. She co-founded Moving Health and is redefining emergency transportation in geographically neglected areas in Ghana.
Interested in applying?
Spring applications open on January 5th, 2024
Sandbox Governance
Based in the MIT School of Engineering and in partnership with the MIT Innovation Initiative, Sandbox is overseen by an MIT governing board including the Chancellor, the Provost, the Dean of the MIT Sloan School of Management, the President of the Graduate Student Council, President of the Undergraduate Association, or their designates.