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VentureWell




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A graphic depicting innovators at VentureWell.

For more than 30 years, VentureWell has supported tens of thousands of innovators envisioning a better future for people and the planet. Founded in 1995 with support from The Lemelson Foundation, VentureWell was one of the Foundation’s earliest grantees, formed to help early-stage innovators and entrepreneurs move groundbreaking technologies out of the lab and into the world. That partnership set the course for VentureWell’s mission today: to solve the world’s most pressing challenges through science- and technology-driven innovation and rapidly advancing strong ideas toward commercialization and impact.

Since its founding, VentureWell has worked closely with The Lemelson Foundation to nurture the next generation of inventors. Together, they launched the E-Team Program, part of the VentureWell Accelerator suite of programs, and one of the first initiatives of its kind to provide funding, training, and mentorship for student-led invention teams. For more than three decades, VentureWell funding and training programs have helped thousands of early-stage entrepreneurs bring bold ideas to life, providing expert support to STEM entrepreneurs and educators who expand innovation and entrepreneurship on campuses, and building regional and national ecosystems to accelerate commercialization. 

The impact and reach of VentureWell is significant, having trained more than 18,000 individuals, launched over 5,000 ventures, engaged upwards of 1,200 higher education institutions, and awarded $30M+ in grant funding.

At the heart of VentureWell’s work is a commitment to activating the potential of all inventors and entrepreneurs to accelerate scientific innovation. The organization believes that innovation and entrepreneurship are powerful engines for technological advancement, economic growth, and creative problem-solving. By supporting individuals, institutions, and ecosystems, VentureWell strengthens the U.S. innovation economy, champions place-based innovation, and helps innovators navigate complex technical, regulatory, and funding hurdles to bring scientific discoveries from lab to market.

Today, VentureWell’s impact spans multiple sectors and stages of the innovation journey. VentureWell continues to scale its reach — from expanding the innovation capacity of federal science-funding agencies to pioneering accelerators that strengthen the blue economy, to helping ventures raise more than $7 billion in investment. With a network of nearly 400 higher education institutions and partnerships with the National Science Foundation, Microsoft, Qualcomm, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the U.S. Department of State, the Walton Family Foundation, and others, VentureWell has grown into a powerful global force for change — ensuring that innovation truly matters, for everyone.

Learn more about the work of VentureWell: