The CEU iLab's six-month-long acceleration program makes entrepreneurship more accessible by providing mentoring, know-how, network and a community for high-impact teams. All of this in a world-class environment, at a world-class university.
IMPORTANT! Central European University yesterday announced that it is closing the CEU InnovationsLab operation as of December 31, 2022. CEU iLab will not recruit a new cohort, the current cohort will graduate in October, 2022.
Ready for your business acceleration but still have questions?
Make sure to read our FAQ or contact with one of the iLab Management team members, ask for a meeting, and pitch your idea.
Fill out our online Application Form and provide all the requested information.
Selected projects will be invited to participate in interviews.
If selected to the incubation program, you will receive the initial infopack for iLab teams.
If you need an intensive skill boost to prepare for your entrepreneurship adventure, apply to the iLab Startup Bootcamp.
CEU InnovationsLab offers a flexible scheme where each team can choose from a wide variety of programs and events based on their own needs and goals.
Teams participate in a three-day onboarding and monthly progress sessions in key entrepreneurship-related topics with CEU faculty and experts.
Each project is matched with a lead mentor who provides guidance to the team in the form of one-on-one sessions.
Skill mentors are also available for teams for one-time consultations in specific topics (such as marketing, risk management, business plan, funding, etc.)
iLab teams' financial progress is constantly tracked by our data analyst.
Teams have access to their absolute and relative performance data in a visual format at any time.
In the framework of the “Capstone projects” startups get to work with student experts from the business MS programs, while legal students provide legal advisory to the teams.
Teams will be able to participate in relevant CEU courses.
iLab teams have access to the CEU library and research facilities.
CEU Phd students regularly publish iLab case studies in peer-reviewed international journals.
iLab is facilitating its teams’ meeting opportunities with local and global Venture Capitals, Angels and other potential financial players.
Teams are free to use the CEU iLab coworking office throughout their incubation. We have membership plans available for alumni teams.
Teams have access to the facilities of the Budapest and Vienna campuses as well.
The iLab community is actively involved in various meetups and ecosystem events as contributors, speakers, panelists. We also run our own networking events and meetup series, like BlockChain Stories.
iLab prepares you to become ready for investment at various stages of the entrepreneurial cycle from seed to B round.
The CEU iLab Badge of Excellence is awarded to those startups that meet the benchmarks set by Talk-A-Bot in 2019:
Any member who has been in the acceleration becomes CEU iLab alumni. As an alumni or graduate team you will remain part of the community, you have the opportunity to become a mentor, keep learning from and sharing skills with each other.
Start-ups that join CEU InnovationsLab become members of a knowledge network that can help them thrive. They also receive physical resources any young venture needs to function. As a CEU InnovationsLab start-up, you will benefit from access to:
We connect start-ups to CEU’s international student and faculty community. Our Finance, Business Analytics, Technology Management, Economics and other master’s degree students are eager to work with energetic start-ups and contribute their fresh thinking and fresh ideas. We can also connect you to Budapest’s skilled technology and engineering workforce.
Members of CEU InnovationsLab are plugged into the entire CEU research community. This facilitates R&D collaboration with CEU departments, centers, and institutes in disciplines ranging from economics to environmental sciences. We also have partnerships with other universities and research institutions.
CEU InnovationsLab connects start-ups with opportunities for venture capital, angel investment, and other forms of growth equity, as well as non-traditional funding sources.
Our relationships with local organizations and international companies can ease entry into local, regional, and global markets, and connect you with potential customers.
Stay up to date and get the latest news!
The privacy of your personal information is very important to us. We collect, use, and store your personal information in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation.