The IQSS Startup Foundry
The IQSS Startup Foundry
From Insight to Impact
Turning social science research
into real-world impact
Great social science research changes how we understand people, institutions, and society. Too often, though, it stays in journals when it could also change lives. The IQSS Startup Foundry helps Harvard social science researchers take their work further — turning ideas into ventures, partnerships, tools, and products that reach the people who need them.
We're not a typical startup accelerator; we're built specifically for social science faculty. We are the connective infrastructure that turns Harvard social science research into commercial and societal impact.
Creating New Ventures
Our mission is to foster these collaborations through building an ecosystem and a set of venture creation resources to develop companies that create significant impact on the world. The IQSS Startup Foundry is where it begins.
Academic Founders
For Harvard faculty, our program helps social science faculty amplify their research by (1) transforming select research projects into companies with real-world impact, without leaving their day job, and, in turn, (2) creating new opportunities to further academic research at scales and in areas impossible within any university.
Our specialized ecosystem with technical, legal, and entrepreneurial expertise, integrated with offices across Harvard, extends well beyond the borders of the university. We focus on early-stage concepts while they are still part of Harvard research projects.
Business and Startup Experts
Our network of operating executives and seasoned entrepreneurs works with academics to craft a business model and strategy, as well as other key aspects of early-stage company building.
The IQSS Startup Foundry curates a community of business leaders, investors, philanthropists, and industry experts who share our vision of translating breakthrough social science research into transformative new ventures.
There are several ways to get involved. Please join us!
Ready to Get Involved?
Faculty: You do not need a business plan. You do not need to have decided that you want a startup. You only need one thing: a question about whether some part of your research might have a life outside the journal article.
Entrepreneurs and industry experts: You do not need to bring a deal. You DO need to be willing to roll up your sleeves at the earliest, most uncertain stage, working in close collaboration with faculty and within Harvard’s environment.
We will start wherever you are—Stage 0 or Stage 3—and work forward from there.