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, individualized support and mentorship, and networking opportunities, guiding the launch and growth of their Columbia-founded and venture-scale technology startups.

CTech is a highly selective, cross-disciplinary, year-long program open to Engineering graduate students and rising second-year MBA students with technical backgrounds who have completed significant customer discovery and have developed an MVP stage to apply to CTech and 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 and CBS dual degree student candidates:
  • Rising second-year CBS students
  • 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 and CBS dual degree student candidates:

• Accepted teams will have weekly sessions with CTech mentors/professors
• Enrollment in (CTech 201) Launch Your Startup (3 credits) during Fall Term
• Attend the Dr. Li Distinguished Technology Entrepreneurship Speaker Series
• Fulfill a VC requirement which can 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:

• Accepted teams will have weekly sessions with CTech mentors/professors
• Enrollment in CTech 201 (optional) recommended courses: (Fall Term)
  • IEOR E4578 Startup Fundamentals – Build and Launch with Prof. Owen Davis, 3 credit
  • Computer Science W4995 Section 021 Building a Successful Startup with Prof. Agarwal, 3 credits
  • Computer Science WCOMS4460-1 Principles of Innovation & Entrepreneurship” with Prof Reinisch, 3 credits
• Attendance of the Dr. Song Li Distinguished Technology Entrepreneurship Speaker Series.
• Fulfill a VC requirement which can 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)

All CTech teams may also enroll in or 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.

*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. Please check back in fall 2024 on or about the first week of September.

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