The Basement LaunchPad

The Basement LaunchPad equips college and university students with the entrepreneurial skills they need to build lasting careers.

Skills needed to build a successful business – growth mindset, creativity, critical thinking, leadership – are the same skills needed to build a successful career.

The Basement LaunchPad gives students a platform to hone these skills so that they can be more competitive and confident in today’s job market.

Why You Should Join

• Available to all UC San Diego undergraduate and graduate students with a startup, small business, or social innovation idea, regardless of major or industry
• Tailored in-person and online curriculum 
• Assigned mentor throughout the duration of the program for one-on-one advising
• Extended access to The Basement’s co-working space
• Access to a network of subject-area experts 
• Priority use of The Basement’s Prototyping Lab
• Curated funding sources 
• Proof of concept prototyping funds (subject to availability)
• Access to the Makerspace 
• Access to the Office of Innovation and Commercialization Startup Toolkit
• Networking opportunities with UC San Diego and San Diego entrepreneurial community
• CCR and AIP 197 credit available
  
  

 Program Overview

Map your way to Demo Day!

Fall: Develop Your Entrepreneurial Mind

• Identify real-world problems using a design thinking approach • Understand key traits of successful entrepreneurs • Test assumptions and hypotheses about the problem space

Winter: Learn Your Customer and Explore Your MVP

• Conduct customer discovery and development • Formulate and validate hypotheses about customer pains and gains • Build low-fidelity prototypes based on customer feedback • Begin testing for product–market fit

Spring: Refine Solutions and Refine Your Pitch

• Continue customer discovery and iterate on hypotheses • Develop and test MVPs with potential users • Clearly articulate your product’s value proposition and benefits • Strengthen your pitch and storytelling skills

Demo Day

• Pitch your startup to a live panel of early-stage investors for a chance to win cash and in-kind prizes totaling $50,000+ • Showcase your venture to the San Diego entrepreneurial ecosystem and compete for the $1,000 Audience Choice Award • Connect with industry and community members who can help advance your venture • Engage with hundreds of attendees from campus and the local community • Celebrate your entrepreneurial journey at The Basement 

Application

Applications for Fall 2026 are now open and are due Tuesday, October 6th at 11:59 p.m.

BASEMENT LAUNCHPAD APPLICATION

Basement LaunchPad Virtual Info Session | Tuesday, September 29th, 3 – 3:45 p.m.
Have questions about the Basement LaunchPad program?  Attend the info session to learn more.
Register here.