Workshops + Mentorship + Compete for $15,000
Formerly known as the Creative Arts Competition, the MIT Arts Startup Incubator was established in 2013 to foster arts-focused ventures at the Institute. The $15,000 prize is awarded to help launch the winning enterprise and enable the recipient(s) to join the ranks of MIT’s most successful startup founders.
Taking place October 2023 – May 2024, this year’s competition features supporting events and workshops before and during the program period to help students build out their teams and define and refine their business concepts. Semifinalists, chosen by application in November, are part of a cohort program designed to accelerate arts-focused ventures. Teams receive mentorship from past prize winners, distinguished faculty, MIT alumni, local creative entrepreneurs, and access to exclusive workshops to help them hone their business models, connect to resources, and prepare to pitch.
Finalists pitch their ventures to a live panel of judges and compete for the $15K grand prize. All finalist teams receive $2,500 towards their venture.
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.
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.
2023 First Prize Winner: Monki Tox
Warm congratulations to Divya Iver SM ’24 and her team, whose venture Monki Tox—an audio storytelling app that helps Indian children connect with their roots—won the $15,000 prize in the 2022-23 competition.
On Wednesday, April 4, 2023, the five finalist teams pitched their ideas to a jury and packed house at the MIT Innovation Headquarters. The remaining four semifinalist teams (Artizen, Embrace, Kino AI, and Oneshoe3D) each received prizes of $2,500.
Upcoming Events
2023-24 MIT Arts Startup Incubator Launch Event
October 4, 2023 at 5-7:30pm | iHQ (E38) 7th Floor Hacker Reactor
Join us for this year’s Arts Startup Incubator kickoff event!
Resources from Past Events
Non-Profit Business Plans with Miguel Rodriguez
Monday, December 21, 2020 / 7:00-8:00pm
This session helps students interested in the competition’s non-profit track to build out a robust business plan by identifying target impact, stakeholders, key partners, and more. We are joined by guest facilitator Miguel Rodriguez, who is the founder and president of Athlone Artists and has held executive positions with Boston Baroque, Opera Boston, and Boston Landmarks Orchestra.
For-Profit Budgets with Kit Hickey
Wednesday, December 9, 2020 / 7:30-8:30pm
This session is aimed at helping for-profit venture teams create a prospective budget to support your venture’s early growth. Kit Hickey, co-founder of Ministry of Supply and entrepreneur-in-residence at the Martin Trust Center will share her experience budgeting to support growth in a company’s early stages.
Non-Profit Budgets with Julia Turnbull
Monday, December 7, 2020 / 7:30-8:30pm
This session focuses on how to create a prospective budget to effectively plan for your non-profit venture’s growth. Julia Turnbull, Assistant Director for Student Programs at the Legatum Center, will discuss her experience evaluating budgets and grant funding for the Inter American Development Bank.
Building your For-Profit Business Plan with Carly Chase
Sunday, December 6, 2020 / 5:00-6:00pm
Carly Chase, Managing Director of the MIT NYC Startup Studio and entrepreneur-in-residence at the Martin Trust Center will be sharing guidance on how to build a strong plan for your arts-related venture. You’ll hear professional tips for building out dimensions from target customers to key suppliers and everything in between.
Building Your Value Proposition with Dr. Michael Camp
November 19, 2020 / 7:30pm
Dr. Michael Camp, Executive Director of Entrepreneurship and Technology Innovation at Ohio State University, leads a workshop on how to build and articulate your value proposition as an arts-related venture.