Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference Registration Now Open
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Registration is now open for the Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference, slated for April 10-11, 2025, at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center. This prominent conference in the mid-Atlantic region focuses on tech startups, attracting entrepreneurs, investors, and researchers.
This event highlights innovations across high-growth and emerging markets, including IT, energy, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and healthcare. The conference will kick off with a fireside chat between Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and Geoff Martha, chairman and CEO of Medtronic, a global leader in healthcare technology, on April 10.
“The Venture & IP Conference is a unique, high-energy opportunity for innovators, investors and business professionals to connect and engage in discussions about cutting-edge technology — many of which are being driven by Penn State researchers and showcased at this event,” said James Delattre, associate vice president for research and director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, which spearheads the Invent Penn State initiative.
Tech Tournament
A key feature of the conference is the annual Tech Tournament, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Office of Transformation & Opportunity. This year’s tournament will showcase 12 disruptive technologies from four of Pennsylvania’s leading research universities. The universities participating in the tournament will be:
- Penn State
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Lehigh University
- University of Pennsylvania
The winners of the Tech Tournament will receive funding. The first-place winner will receive $10,000, the second-place winner $3,000, and the People’s Choice winner, selected by the audience, will receive $2,000.
Additional Events
The 2025 Venture & IP Conference will also host several other key events.
Venture Connection
This event will provide a setting for investors to meet with entrepreneurs who have been matched based on their capital needs, industry, and other key criteria. Organized into segments, Venture Connection will allow each investor to meet with up to a dozen entrepreneurs. Participation requires an application, though entrepreneurs need not be affiliated with Penn State.
Student Startup Showcase
Corey Phelps, the John and Karen Arnold Dean of Penn State’s Smeal College of Business, will recognize eight innovative student startups, who will then present their ventures. This event is sponsored by the Smeal College of Business.
‘Dare to Disrupt’ LIVE: Innovating the Future of EV Infrastructure
A live recording of the “Dare to Disrupt” podcast will bring together three Penn State alumni who are influencing the electric vehicle (EV) industry. The discussion will cover challenges and opportunities in EV infrastructure and charging technology. Panelists include:
- Benjamin Birnbaum (Keyframe, TeraWatt)
- Zander Isaacson (Xeal)
- Diallo Powell (Stak Mobility)
PropTech: Startups and Technologies that are Revolutionizing the Built Environment
Hosted by the Penn State Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation, this panel will bring together experts from the PropTech world. Panelists include:
- George Burchlaw (Principal at RE Analytics)
- Amy Polvado (Chairwoman of the U.S. Proptech Council, host of podcast “Proptech Genius,” and founder and CEO of Facilimax)
- Charles Conwell (CEO of Novele)
- Benjamin Birnbaum (Partner at Keyframe and co-founder of TeraWatt Infrastructure)
About Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference
Founded in 2016, the Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference has become a key tech startup conference in the mid-Atlantic, drawing over 600 attendees. The conference highlights innovations from high-growth and emerging markets, including IT, energy, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, and healthcare. Invent Penn State receives partial funding from a grant by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community & Economic Development.
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