Our Impact
975+
Entrepreneurs Trained
28
Countries Engaged
$500k+
Funding Invested
Program Overview
GIST Startup Trainings are in-country intensive business training courses designed to empower young science and technology innovators and entrepreneurs through hands-on training and mentoring delivered by top U.S. experts and conducted in partnership with in-country ecosystem partners. As a result of GIST support, many participants have moved their ventures forward. At least two GIST Startup Trainings winners have exited their startups and others have incubated at Google’s startup accelerator in Silicon Valley and 1871’s entrepreneurial hub in Chicago.
GIST Innovates
Born out of a need to take our Startup Trainings program virtual, ‘GIST Innovates’ is a ten-week, in-person/virtual hybrid training program focusing on pre-accelerator stage innovations and is modeled after the Lean Startup methodology. Through an in-depth customer discovery process, early-stage entrepreneurs identify and evaluate opportunities for their venture and make informed decisions on how best to move their idea forward. GIST Innovates provides participants with the training, mentoring, and resources they need to build their entrepreneurial skills and bring their ideas out of the university lab and into the market.
What are GIST Startup Trainings?
Hear from our innovators!
Current Opportunities
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Startup Training Success Stories
Rahinah Ibrahim, Oceanori | Malaysia
Oceanori's from Malaysia has created an independent sewage treatment plant (also known as iSTP) for rural communities that do not have centralized sewage collection and treatment. The treatment plant is one of the smallest on the market, easily transportable by boat, can fit underneath the toilets of rural water-based communities and treats sewage to meet the specs of Malaysia’s National Water Services Commission.
Gustavo Becker, Box Synergy | Argentina
Box Synergy designs creative, innovative and sustainable products. The products provide safe water, electricity, connectivity and thermal sources for heat water and cooking, where services do not reach. Box Synergy developed autonomous, self-sustaining, resilient, versatile and portable conceptions. Their differential factor is the synergy, as a concept that allows us to move towards the future, to minimize the environmental impact and maximize the social impact, to generate more with less.
Nataliya Limonova of GIOS
GIOS is designing an interactive platform for the delivery of remote and blended learning. In addition to keeping students engaged in the educational process, the platform aims to support teachers in organizing remote and hybrid teaching by providing them with a flexible course builder, interactive material library, assessment, and analytics.
Previous Startup Trainings
Investor Readiness Startup Training | Pacific Islands
The GIST Investor Readiness Startup Training program prepared growing startups from the Pacific Islands for investor engagement. Included deep-dive conversations with investors and participation in a mock board meeting with money awarded to top performers. Learn more!
GIST Innovates the Balkans 2024
GIST Innovates The Balkans is a dynamic hybrid in-person/virtual pre-accelerator training experience for early-stage science and technology startups. Learn more about this opportunity!
GIST Innovates South Caucasus
GIST Innovates South Caucasus is an eight-week pre-accelerator training program modeled after the Lean Startup methodology. Click to learn more.
GIST Startup Training & Investment Forum | Pacific Islands
This exciting first for GIST venturing into the heart of the Pacific to engage innovators brought our signature training model to early-stage entrepreneurs for 4-days of impactful learnings.
1st place: Chris Vanualailai
Envirotech Solutions Pacific | Fiji
2nd Place: Apenisa (Ben) Maracava and Sera Keleinavutoka
Purayil Investment Ltd | Fiji
3rd Place: Livingstone Fontenu and Rhoda Wong
Southern Flame Investment Limited | Papua New Guinea
Read more about this event.
GIST Innovates the Balkans 2023
GIST Innovates the Balkans is an exciting new program serving S&T innovators across the Balkans. Learn more about this program.
GIST Innovates Thailand
GIST Innovates Thailand was an 8-week program of intensive training for startups working to take the next step in their ventures. Read more about this program.