Igniting Innovation Through New Ventures
High impact science and technology flourishes at New Jersey Institute for Technology (NJIT) in our academic community yet often does not fulfill its commercial potential. While NJIT certainly has success with traditional lab-to-market strategies – IP licensing and faculty startups – the challenges to these pathways are well known and perennial. University IP is rarely developed with market needs in mind and, as such, potential corporate partners struggle to connect their business applications with our technologies. And NJIT faculty and researchers rarely find the balance needed for a successful university spinout and a career in higher education.
Recognizing these impediments, the NJII Entrepreneurship Division has created a third pathway to deploy the NJIT ecosystem of technologies, capabilities, and entrepreneurs: a Venture Studio. Unlike a venture fund or traditional venture investing – which invest in other people’s companies – the NJII Venture Studio creates its own high-growth companies as vehicles for NJIT assets. The NJII Venture Studio is the dividend of a 10-year track record of successful new venture investment and acceleration at NJII. While the NJII team utilizes this unique ability to support our homegrown start-ups, the Entrepreneurship Division also offers new venture Acceleration Services to support the needs of our corporate, state and community partners. We surround startups in a network of seasoned entrepreneurs, investors, and technical advisors as well as provide experiential learning opportunities for our companies to accelerate their path to profitability and return for their investors.
How We Support Entrepreneurs
Acceleration Services
Tailored programs designed to propel entrepreneurs and their ventures forward at an accelerated pace. These services provide a structured framework, mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities to help startups grow rapidly and efficiently.
Venture Studio
The NJII Venture Studio is the dividend of a 10-year track record of successful new venture investment and acceleration at NJII. Find out how you can engage with us to Partner, Lead or Submit a new company.
Community Programs
NJII proudly partners with Paul Profeta to meet the underserved needs of budding entrepreneurs in the Newark, NJ area as well as with NJIT to promote the engagement of Student programming.
Startup Statistics in New Jersey

51%
Of millionaires are entrepreneurs

5.5M

#1

Top 3
Start up sectors: Energy, Finance, Technology
Meet The Team
Michael Van Ter Sluis
Vice President
Mary Jane Durkin
Director, Venture Studio
Ahmet-Hamdi Cavusoglu
Program Director
Patrick Cooke, Ph.D.
Associate, MDS Studio
Recent Updates
Discover Open Coffee Club: A Monthly Networking Event for Entrepreneurs & Investors in New Jersey
February 12, 2025Transforming Drug Development with AI: A Spotlight on ModernVivo
February 7, 2025Profeta Entrepreneurship Workshop: Business Fundamentals for Entrepreneurs
January 21, 2025Empowering Entrepreneurs to Succeed in Fundraising: Highlights from NJIF’s ‘Raising Funds’ Session
December 18, 2024Ready to get started?
Tell us about your new venture