Columbia Technology Founders Track (CTech)

Founded by Dr. Song Li, PhD ’92, CTech gives technical Columbia MBA and graduate Engineering students the tools to become world-class entrepreneurs by providing them with curriculum, mentorship, and networking opportunities, guiding the launch and growth of Columbia-founded and venture-scale technology startups.

CTech is a selective, cross-disciplinary year-long program open to Engineering graduate students and rising second-year MBA students with technical backgrounds who are dedicated to launching and growing a venture-scale technology startup while at Columbia.

“I want to thank you for the fantastic semester and for your dedication to our startups. Your commitment and support is something I will never forget…you believed in us from the beginning and helped us grow SO MUCH. It is incredible to see how much we've evolved (and how much we still need to evolve) and to know that you created within us a drive for improvement that will never stop.” - Martim De Mello, Co-Founder, Changing Room (CTech class of ’21)

CTech represents a university-wide collaboration between the Business School’s Lang Entrepreneurship Center, the Engineering School’s IEOR Department, and Columbia Entrepreneurship.

Eligibility/Prerequisites for Application

• MBA student candidates: 
  • Rising second-year CBS students
  • Currently enrolled in or have completed Foundations of Entrepreneurship (CTech 101) prior to applying, or have received an exemption from this course
  • STEM undergraduate degree or relevant work experience in a technology role
• Engineering graduate student candidates: 
  • Rolling admissions
  • Preferably in first semester of Masters program and have taken Entrepreneurship Bootcamp (IEOR 4570), however:
    • Students in their second or third term are nonetheless encouraged to apply. Requirements for entrepreneurship coursework and/or independent study will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

“CTech allowed me to build my venture with appropriate knowledge and rigour - particularly in operations, business development, validation and fundraising. I have recommended the program to several of my peers and classmates at SEAS.” - Abhirat Shinde, Co-Founder, DeliverE (CTech class of ’21)

CTech Program Components

CTech provides a year-long, intensive mentorship experience for accepted teams. Teams make progress weekly throughout the year.

For MBA Students: 

• Accepted teams will have weekly sessions with CTech mentors/professors
• Enrollment in (CTech 201) Launch Your Startup (3 credits).
• Must be accepted to and subsequently complete the (CTech 301) Greenhouse Accelerator program.
  • NOTE: CTech students are not guaranteed acceptance into Greenhouse and must go through the application and pitch process with all other candidates.
• Attendance of the Dr. Li Distinguished Technology Entrepreneurship Speaker Series.
• VC coursework or VC-related experience. This requirement could be satisfied by one or more of the following: 
  • Enrollment in Foundations of VC and/or VC Seminar 
  • A qualifying VC Workshop
  • Acceptance and participation in the Columbia Venture Fellows program (administered by the Lang Center)

For Engineering Graduate Students (details decided on a case by case basis, but generally):

• Accepted teams will have weekly sessions with CTech mentors/professors
• Enrollment in CTech 201: either “IEOR E4578 Startup Fundamentals – Build and Launch” with Prof. Owen Davis, 3 credits; B8519-002 “Launch Your Startup”, 3 credits; or an independent study arranged by CTech leadership during the upcoming fall semester.
• Must be accepted to and subsequently complete of the (CTech 301) Greenhouse Accelerator program.
  • NOTE: CTech students are not guaranteed acceptance into Greenhouse and must go through the application and pitch process with all other candidates.
• Attendance of the Dr. Song Li Distinguished Technology Entrepreneurship Speaker Series.
• VC coursework or VC-related experience. This requirement could be satisfied by one or more of the following: 
  • A qualifying VC workshop
  • Enrollment in Foundations of VC and/or VC Seminar 

All CTech teams, (both MBA and Engineering), may also apply to various 301 level courses, such as Entrepreneurial Greenhouse* or Customer Driven Product Optimization, although these are not required to fulfill the CTech program.

"Loved CTech. It was so inspiring to be in the same room as entrepreneurs going through the same journey as you are. The access to mentors, advice from people who've done it before, and the incredible support from the CTech team made it a truly special part of my EMBA journey."  - Saron Yitbarek, Founder, Disco (CTech class of ’21)

*Entrepreneurial Greenhouse is a selective, application-only course and CTech teams are not guaranteed a spot in the Greenhouse course.

Apply to CTech

Applications are closed for the 2022-2023 cohort.

Note: If there is more than one student in the same startup who qualifies for CTech and wants to apply (e.g. each team member is either a rising second-year MBA with a technical background or an Engineering Masters student), team members should apply separately.

Questions? Please reach out to Gabriel Mejia at [email protected] and Dave Lerner at [email protected].

Meet the 2022-23 Cohort

CTech Team Leaders