Workshops + Mentorship + Funding
The Arts Startup Incubator supports creative entrepreneurship at the Institute, building on MIT’s legacy of students turning innovative ideas into successful businesses. The program equips a cohort of teams with mentors and workshops to hone their products, business models, and pitches to compete for a $15,000 prize to launch.
Last year’s competition ran from January through April 2025 and featured events before and during the program period for students to get feedback on their business concepts and build team capacity.
Selected teams were part of a cohort program designed to accelerate arts-focused ventures. All teams receive seed funding and 1:1 mentorship from industry experts, including distinguished faculty, alumni, and creative entrepreneurs as well as access to exclusive workshops that help hone their business models, develop prototypes, and prepare to pitch.
Finalist teams pitched their ventures to a live panel of judges on April 24 to compete for the $15K grand prize. All finalist teams received $2,500 towards their venture. Read about the 2025 finalists and winning team!
The $15K Arts Startup Incubator is supported in part by the Council for the Arts at MIT.
Criteria and Frequently Asked Questions
Details about eligibility, judging criteria, and common questions.
Info Sessions, Timeline, and Application Process
Apply in the fall semester, develop a business plan over the course of the year, and present a venture to a live judging panel in spring.
Past Recipients
Businesses ranging from online music mentorship to VR for the blind.
Congratulations to the 2025 First Prize Winner: CRATE
From music platforms to gallery management tools, ten semifinalist teams received mentorship from industry experts as they developed their arts-based ventures. CRATE, a B2B platform that enables gallery owners to better forecast costs before making business decisions, claimed the $15,000 top prize, with four other finalist teams each receiving $2,500 in seed funding