Lab to Market: Bridging Innovation and Entrepreneurship
How can a partnership between Columbia University, the National Technical University of Athens, and Greece’s innovation ecosystem help turn new ideas into new businesses?
Lab to Market: Bridging Innovation and Entrepreneurship is a new initiative between Columbia University and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) aimed at empowering a new generation of scientist-entrepreneurs in Greece. The initiative is run by the Columbia Global Center in Athens, led by Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), with the support of Columbia Business School, Endeavor Greece, and the Hellenic Institute of Advanced Studies (HIAS). This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation.
Overview
The Lab to Market Initiative seeks to bridge the gap between basic research and entrepreneurship by creating a structured initiative that equips students and researchers with the business skills, mentorship, and industry connections needed to turn their groundbreaking ideas into viable, scalable ventures.
The Initiative will run for five years and with the generous support of the Blavatnik Family Foundation it is free of cost for all participants.
This initiative is designed for students and researchers who want to:
- Gain hands-on training on how to build a successful start-up.
- Learn how to build scalable ventures with real-world impact.
- Gain mentorship from international leaders in technology, business, and innovation.
- Join a vibrant community of peers and mentors bridging Athens and New York.
Led by Columbia Engineering, the initiative draws on Columbia’s expertise in technology transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship education.
Eligibility and Applications
The initiative is open to all students enrolled at NTUA with preference given to PhD students, master’s students, advanced undergraduate students and early career researchers (post-docs).
Applicants should apply as a team of 2-4 participants. Exceptional individual applicants will be considered and if accepted be asked to form or join teams based on shared interests.
The Initiative’s thematic focus for the first year will be Artificial Intelligence, Energy & Sustainability and Health, but if your idea sparks change in another field, we want to hear from you! Exceptional applications with other thematic areas will also be considered.
The first year cohort will include up to 90 participants who will be selected by a joint committee led by Columbia and NTUA faculty.
Program Details
The Lab to Market Initiative will:
- Offer a broad set of training workshops on business foundations, entrepreneurship, and startup scaling, provided over a period of up to three semesters.
- Pair participants with business mentors from Greece and academics from Columbia and beyond.
- Provide networking opportunities through enrichment (co-curricular) programming.
- Host a venture competition and offer grants to selected groups to establish their startups by the end of the cohort.
- Provide a Certificate of Attendance to all participants.
- Include a trip to New York City to engage with Columbia, local entrepreneurs, and the broader innovation ecosystem, with travel costs covered by Columbia University.
In-person and online training bootcamps and workshops will be offered over up to three semesters (with two semesters also possible).
- In-person and online training bootcamp sessions and training workshops are spread over three semesters (with two semesters being also possible).
- A Business Foundations training module total of 40 hours of instruction spread over 12 weeks, blending an in-person bootcamp with weekly virtual sessions in the first semester focused on entrepreneurship models, customer discovery, and business fundamentals.
- Entrepreneurship and Start-up Scaling training modules offered over two semesters, of 40 hours of instruction each spread over 12 weeks, blending in-person workshops with weekly virtual sessions focused on advanced business skills, scalability and growth (with one semester instead of two also being possible).
- Certificates will be given to participants who successfully complete the cohort.
- Pairing with local entrepreneurs, venture investors, and faculty from Columbia and NTUA, with the support of Endeavor Greece and HIAS.
- Ongoing guidance on research commercialization and startup growth.
- Networking events and site visits to startups, venture firms, and innovation hubs in Athens.
- Pitch competition for teams to present their ideas to investors and experts and connect with venture capital and angel investors, after completion of the Business Foundation training.
- Winning teams receive monetary awards to assist them in growing up their business.
Selected participants will travel to Columbia University in New York to experience the global startup ecosystem firsthand, with costs covered by Columbia University. Expected travel to take place in Spring 2026.
The initiative is overseen by the Columbia Global Center in Athens, with Columbia Engineering and NTUA acting as the lead academic partners. The initiative is run in collaboration with Columbia Business School, Endeavor Greece, the Hellenic Institute for Advanced Studies, Columbia’s Business School and is generously funded by the Blavantik Family Foundation.
Columbia University, through its Engineering School and the Columbia Business School, has a long-standing commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and driving innovation. With programs like Columbia Technology Ventures, the Tamer Center for Social Enterprise, and extensive resources for tech transfer, Columbia has been at the forefront of bridging academic research with entrepreneurial ventures. Its proven track record in entrepreneurship and tech transfer, alongside its strategic partnerships globally, has consistently supported the creation of impactful ventures across various industries.
In Greece, the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) stands out as one of the top engineering schools in Europe, producing cutting-edge research in AI, energy, and deep tech, while at the same time providing Columbia Engineering 15 faculty members with NTUA degrees. NTUA is looking to assist its young engineers and scientists acquire new opportunities to go beyond scientific research and take on new roles as entrepreneurs.
Endeavor Greece, a leading global network supporting high-impact entrepreneurs – co-founded by a Columbian, and currently led by Columbia community members – and the Hellenic Institute of Advanced Studies (HIAS), a network of Greek leading scientists globally, will provide additional mentorship and access to a wider entrepreneurial ecosystem, further enhancing the success of the initiative.
Together, these organizations bring an unrivaled network of faculty, researchers, and entrepreneurs to support Greece’s next generation of innovators.
FAQs
The initiative is open to all students enrolled at NTUA and post-docs, with preference given to PhD students, master’s students, advanced undergraduate students, and early career researchers (post-docs). At least one team member must have an active NTUA affiliation. Faculty members may participate as advisors, but are not counted as official team members.
You may apply individually or in teams of 2-4 members. Exceptional individual applicants are welcome; if selected, they will receive support to form or join a team based on shared interests during the early stages of the initiative. While applying with a pre-formed team is encouraged, team formation opportunities will also be provided before the Bootcamp phase.
Research indicates that teams of three to four members tend to distribute work most effectively and equitably. That said, existing teams with more members (e.g., five) are also welcome to apply.
No problem — teams may submit a temporary name for the purposes of the application. You can update or change your startup name at any point during the Initiative.
No. Applicants may apply with an early-stage concept, provided it has strong potential for technological innovation. The initiative is designed to help participants validate, refine, and develop their ideas through mentorship and hands-on training.
Applicants may serve as the lead for only one idea, as leading a team is time-intensive. However, applicants may participate in an advisory capacity on another team with a different idea.
The program is not designed to refine technology itself. Instead, it focuses on identifying real users and market needs. Participants are encouraged to work on an area they are genuinely excited about. The key starting point is asking, “What do people actually need?” The initiative emphasizes engagement with society to understand needs, constraints, and capacity before building a solution.
No, applicants are not required to fit their ideas strictly into a specific thematic category. However, the thematic areas selected for the first cohort are Artificial Intelligence, Energy and Sustainability, and Health. If your idea is innovative, we are very much looking forward to receiving strong proposals from any technological field, including those outside the core areas.
Selection is based on:
- At least one team member must have an active NTUA affiliation
- Quality and originality of the proposed idea
- Team Composition & Complementary Skills
- Motivation to Pursue Entrepreneurship and Active Engagement
The first cohort is expected to accept 10-15 teams (approximately 30-50 participants total), depending on application quality.
The initiative runs from January 2026 to June 2027 and is structured in three phases.
Phase 1: January – June 2026
- Application Period: Until 15 December 2025
- Startup Bootcamp in Athens: 14–16 January 2026
- Virtual Workshops: Late January – May 2026
- Final Pitch Event and Selection: May 2026
- Fully Funded NYC Trip for Top Teams: June 2026
Phases 2 and 3: July 2026 – June 2027
Following Phase 1, selected teams continue through extended support, mentoring, and implementation activities over the next 12 months.
The fully funded New York experience covers travel, accommodation, and meals, along with a curated set of activities, including:
- Visits to innovation hubs and accelerators
- Meetings with investors, entrepreneurs, and Columbia University experts
- Workshops and deep-dive sessions on scaling and commercialization
- Opportunities to present projects to the global innovation ecosystem
Mentors play a central role in guiding the teams throughout every stage of the initiative. They offer expertise in technology development, business strategy, and the innovation landscape.
Teams are responsible for taking initiative and reaching out directly to their assigned mentors, scheduling meetings, and actively engaging with their guidance. Mentors provide support, feedback, and network connections — but teams must drive the relationship and take ownership of their progress.
Primary eligibility is for currently enrolled NTUA students and post-docs. Alumni may participate only if they join a team that includes at least one active NTUA-affiliated member.
The Kick-off will be held on January 14-16 in person. All other weekly meetings will be held online, including mentorship meetings. Networking events will be held in person.
Yes. Participants should expect regular assignments between weekly meetings, primarily focused on customer discovery and market research. This includes conducting around 7-8 interviews per week and reworking your idea and assumptions further. The workload is substantial and requires consistent weekly engagement in addition to the scheduled meetings.
No. Applicants should not treat the application or program discussions as confidential. Intellectual property or proprietary information should not be shared. The program encourages open conversations with potential users to understand their needs, without revealing sensitive or protected information.