Validate
Diagnose whether a problem is worth solving and run rigorous customer discovery, including with technical and regulated buyers.
Polaris Academy · Free · Cohort 1 now open
Entrepreneurship & Innovative Thinking.
A cohort-based course that takes you from a research insight or technical capability to a fundable, ship-ready venture, built for people who want to launch deep tech, not just talk about it. Free to join, with live mentorship and a capstone reviewed by the PIN Startup Lab.
What you'll be able to do
Finish with a venture, not just notes.
Every module ends in a deliverable. By the end you'll have a capstone package, pitch deck, business model, MVP plan, and IP strategy, ready for PIN Startup Lab review.
Model & build
Translate a technical capability into a business model and plan an MVP for hardware, AI, or hybrid systems.
Protect & team
Combine patents, trade secrets, and open-source strategy, and recruit co-founders aligned with a multi-year mission.
Fund & scale
Fundraise through deep-tech capital stages, go to market with long sales cycles, and scale through the hard parts.
The curriculum
Twelve modules. One fundable venture.
A 6-week intensive cohort pace (≈70 hours), with weekly deliverables and a capstone running through the second half.
01 · Foundations of Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Get clarity on your founder "why" and how innovation actually happens.
02 · Identifying Problems Worth Solving
Run a problem audit and shortlist the few problems you'd risk a year on.
03 · Ideation & Opportunity Recognition
Map tech-push vs. market-pull and write a sharp opportunity statement.
04 · Customer Discovery & Market Research
Run 10 customer interviews and produce a validated problem + personas.
05 · Business Models & Value Creation
Build a Business Model Canvas, how you'll create and capture value.
06 · Lean Startup & Validation
Define your riskiest assumption, run an experiment, write the learning report.
07 · Building MVPs for Deep Tech
Scope an MVP and a 30-day prototype plan where lean advice falls short.
08 · Intellectual Property & Protecting Innovation
Run an IP audit and set a patent / trade-secret / open-source strategy.
09 · Building a Team & Co-founders
Assess co-founder fit and draft a hiring roadmap and equity sketch.
10 · Fundraising for Deep-Tech Startups
Build a pitch deck, investor target list, and grant shortlist.
11 · Go-to-Market Strategy for Deep Tech
Write a 90-day GTM plan and pursue your first pilot customer.
12 · Scaling, Leadership & Exit Strategies
Draft a 12-month operating plan and polish your capstone.
★ Capstone Project
A complete venture package, pitch deck, business model, MVP plan, and IP strategy, evaluated by PIN Startup Lab reviewers. Top capstones earn a Startup Lab spot, mentor matching, and a pre-seed funding interview.
Your instructors
Learn from operators who have built and shipped.
Kelechi Ekpemiro
Polaris Innovation Network
Entrepreneur and deep-tech builder guiding founders from first principles through validation, MVP, and go-to-market.
Divine Wokoma
Polaris Innovation Network
Innovation strategist focused on customer discovery, business models, and the path from prototype to fundable startup.
It's free
Join Cohort 1 on VarsityScape.
Create your free account, join the Polaris Innovation Network academy, and start the course. Seats in the live cohort are limited.