UT Austin’s publication for university donors highlighted the Austin Technology Incubator‘s work with student entrepreneurs in two current articles.
“Visionaries Welcome” explores the breadth and depth of UT’s programs for fostering entrepreneurship inside and outside the University, and prominently features the Austin Technology Incubator: “ATI has strong connections with Austin’s angel investor community, local and national venture capital firms, and public funding sources. The incubator is highly selective, typically accepting less than one-tenth of the companies that apply each year, and takes a small percentage stake in each company it works with. In return, it provides strategic counsel, operational guidance, and infrastructure support to startups, helping them transition into successful, high-growth technology businesses.”
The article goes on to introduce ATI’s latest endeavor, Blackstone LaunchPad, a $1M student entrepreneurship program to be established at UT Austin in parallel with sibling programs at UT Dallas and Texas A&M. “Based on its track record in other states, the [Blackstone Charitable Foundation] says LaunchPad could generate thousands of new business ventures—and jobs—across Texas over the next three years.” ATI was selected to oversee the project because of its long experience mentoring student entrepreneurs.
One of those students was featured in a second article, “Startup: ‘Charge It’ to Make a Difference.” The story profiles UT alumnus Stephen Garten whose startup Charity Charge helps people contribute credit card points to their favorite charities. Garten’s path to becoming a founder began at ATI, where he first worked as an intern with the incubator’s clean energy companies and later became a paid staff member. “I absolutely credit my experience [working with entrepreneurs at UT Austin] with giving me my start,” Garten says. “It formed the foundation that enabled me to create Charity Charge, and I wanted to honor my mentors.”
Charity Charge founder Stephen Garten.