TECHNOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATIONNew Accelerator for Data Science and Emerging AI Startups
Data science and AI are two of the most transformative technologies this century, with the potential to revolutionize virtually every industry and field of study. The University of Chicago is at the heart of these scientific innovations. The New Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation program provides support to early-stage companies built on data science and AI technologies.
The University of Chicago’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Data Science Institute announced the launch of Transform, a new accelerator for startup companies focused on the breakthrough technologies of data science and artificial intelligence.
Housed within the new Deep Tech Ventures initiative at the Polsky Center, Transform will provide full-spectrum support, including access to business and technical training, industry mentorship, venture capital connections, and funding opportunities, to early-stage companies utilizing advances in data science and AI.
In its first year, Transform is targeting two cohorts of up to 10 companies each. Startups accepted into the accelerator will receive approximately $250,000 in total investment, including $25,000 in funding, usage of UChicago computing resources, credits for Amazon Web Services and Google for Startups, workspace in the Polsky Exchange on Chicago’s South Side, and access to industry mentors, technical advisors and student talent from the University of Chicago Department of Computer Science, Data Science Institute (DSI), and the Chicago Booth School of Business.
The accelerator will focus on data-driven technologies, including AI and machine learning, data engineering, data analytics, applications in healthcare and biotech, cybersecurity, IoT, climate tech and environment, blockchain, social impact, transportation, fintech, transportation, agriculture, and others.
“The Polsky Center continues to provide unparalleled support to early-stage startup ventures and the Transform accelerator is no different,” said Dan Sachs, executive director of Polsky Deep Tech Ventures. “We are confident that data science and AI startups can accelerate their ability to bring innovations to market with venture capital connections and funding opportunities from the Polsky Center. And our partners at the Data Science Institute at the university can provide the deep, focused, technical guidance and access to industry-specific mentors that we know are invaluable resources to today’s entrepreneurs.”
Data science and AI are two of the most transformative technologies this century, with the potential to revolutionize virtually every industry and field of study. The University of Chicago is at the heart of these scientific innovations. In the last five years, the Departments of Computer Science and Statistics have added more than 40 new faculty, most of which specialize in AI, machine learning, data science and data engineering. The Data Science Institute, launched in 2021, executes the University’s bold, innovative vision of data science as a new discipline, seeding interdisciplinary research, forming partnerships with industry, government, and social impact organizations, and supporting holistic data science education.
