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.

Current Opportunities

We're excited to share that GIST is now accepting applications for GIST Innovates the Balkans, a 10-week pre-accelerator course for science and technology innovators in the Balkans. Learn more about this opportunity. Submit your application by the end of February 2023 to ensure your place.

GIST Innovates Vietnam is our newest program. This 8-week pre-accelerator training for S&T innovators is accepting applications through 22 March, 2023 and is open to Vietnamese startup teams. Learn more and apply for this program.

Startup Training Success Stories

Rahinah Ibrahim of Oceanori

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 of Box Synergy

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

February 2012

Startup Training Maghreb 2012

Although pitching took place, no competition was in place. The purpose was to give feedback.

Program, Mentors, and Participants