Saint Louis University’s New Venture Accelerator announced on April 30 the selection of its third cohort, naming four teams to participate in the 2026 program. The accelerator, which began in 2024 under the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship, provides current students and recent alumni with equity-free investments of up to $50,000 as well as mentorship and resources from university experts.
Jintong Tang, Ph.D., interim director of the Chaifetz Center for Entrepreneurship, said, “This year, the CCE received 22 highly competitive applications from across the University, reflecting the strong spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship at SLU.”
The selected teams—Mesh, CivicKit, GIA-Tech and Morph—will join a rigorous 14-week summer program starting May 12. Participants will receive curriculum support focused on customer discovery and business development before presenting their progress at Demo Day in August. Sixteen judges initially reviewed applications before nine judges evaluated finalists during Pitch Day on April 20.
Mesh is an app designed to connect users based on shared interests in local venues. It currently operates in eight U.S. cities with plans to expand further. CivicKit allows community members to report civic issues through a mobile platform that enables real-time updates and community engagement. GIA-Tech is developing a therapeutic device using neuromuscular electrical stimulation to aid post-surgical recovery. Morph offers an open-source robotic car kit paired with lesson plans for practical robotics education at various levels.
According to the official website, St. Louis University supports community engagement through service programs addressing social needs and extends its educational reach internationally with a campus in Madrid, Spain. The university offers more than 100 undergraduate programs as well as over 100 graduate and professional degrees according to its official site. Its tradition emphasizes Jesuit values such as care for the whole person while pursuing truth “for the greater glory of God and to serve humanity” according to St. Louis University.
Founded in 1910, Saint Louis University’s Richard A. Chaifetz School of Business has been recognized nationally by U.S. News & World Report for several undergraduate and graduate programs.
