Giving young ventures an entrepreneurial edge

Among early Institute graduates were many of the 20th century’s industrial pioneers, including Alfred P. Sloan, Arthur D. Little, and Alfred duPont. In recent decades MIT alumni and faculty have founded thousands of successful companies and created millions of jobs.

Today’s emerging MIT entrepreneurs, however, face an unusually fast-moving and competitive business environment. The speed of technological changes, accelerated product cycles, global competition and sophisticated financing strategies often demand resources and experience beyond the reach of the typical start-up.

VMS supports innovation and entrepreneurial activity throughout the MIT community by matching prospective entrepreneurs with volunteer mentors who can boost the probability of a start-up’s success.