PCI Ventures (UPstart / UPadvisors / Venture WarmUP)

PCI Ventures (UPstart / UPadvisors / Venture WarmUP)

Supports PCI Ventures by connecting University of Pennsylvania inventors with company formation and commercialization pathways.

PCI Ventures (PCIV) is the company-creation division of the Penn Center for Innovation at the University of Pennsylvania, focused exclusively on launching early-stage businesses built around Penn-owned intellectual property. Since 2010, PCIV has worked with more than 200 Penn faculty and staff members to build Penn-based companies. The program is not open to external applicants and does not deploy a direct competitive grant fund.

PCIV operates through three distinct pathways. UPstart pairs Penn inventors with an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) and provides structured company formation support. UPadvisors offers operational and strategic guidance for Penn-associated companies that have already been formed. Venture WarmUP is a pre-commitment track that allows faculty and staff to explore commercialization options — including licensing, sponsored R&D partnerships, or independent startup formation — before making a formal commitment. Capital for portfolio companies flows through separate Penn investment vehicles, including the Penn StartUP Fund and the PxB Fund, which are distinct from PCIV's service offering itself.

Eligibility is restricted to Penn-affiliated inventors, faculty, and staff; only entities with formal University of Pennsylvania affiliation may engage. No cash award is issued through the PCIV programs themselves. Companies seeking EIR matching, formation support, or pre-launch exploration submit via Penn's internal commercialization process managed by PCIV staff. The division serves as the primary on-ramp for faculty-originated spinouts at Penn.