{"682609":{"#nid":"682609","#data":{"type":"news","title":"CREATE-X Honors Its Founders With Largest-Ever Startup Cohort ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECREATE-X, Georgia Tech\u2019s premier entrepreneurship program, kicked off its 12th Startup Launch cohort this month with a record-breaking 137 student teams and 25 faculty and research teams \u2014 totaling 318 founders. The summer-long accelerator, known for turning ideas into real-world ventures, is once again positioning Georgia Tech as a national leader in invention and startup creation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThis year\u2019s cohort spans a wide range of industries, including artificial intelligence, defense, healthcare, gaming, sustainability, media management, agriculture tech, fashion tech, education, and more.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThese founders are in the messy middle and that\u0027s a beautiful place to be. There\u2019s a lot of freedom in that,\u201d said Margaret Weniger, director of Startup Launch. \u201cWe\u2019re all going to be in this together. It\u0027s a safe space to try new things. It\u2019s OK if it doesn\u0027t work out because what we want founders to learn is an entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurial spirit \u2014 something you take with you no matter what you do after this.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOver the next 12 weeks, teams will validate ideas, build products, and acquire customers with the help of dedicated coaches, a robust founder community, and a network of mentors and alumni.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ERaghupathy \u0022Siva\u0022 Sivakumar, Georgia Tech\u2019s inaugural vice president of Commercialization and the faculty founder of CREATE-X, spoke about the core of CREATE-X and what it would take for founders to succeed.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cStartup Launch is not about Georgia Tech gaining from your success. We are here just for one reason, which is to make you successful,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need to hold yourself accountable. You need to be ambitious in terms of how big a problem you solve. You need to be emphatic that the customer matters. The successful teams are 100% behind what\u0027s going to make the lives of customers easier and better.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn 2014, CREATE-X was co-founded by Sivakumar, Steve McLaughlin(who is now the president of The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art), and other Georgia Tech faculty, including Ray Vito, Craig Forest, and Ravi Bellamkonda (who is now the executive vice president and provost of The Ohio State University). The program received its initial major philanthropic support from Chris Klaus, a Georgia Tech alumnus and tech entrepreneur, whose gift helped launch the initiative, and , played a key role in building out the program\u0027s maker courses. Over the years, CREATE-X has continued to grow, thanks largely to the philanthropic support of alumni and foundations who believe in its mission.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn the last decade, the program has produced over 650 startups, $2.4 billion in portfolio valuation, and had eight founders named to Forbes\u2019 30 Under 30. Wagner shared stories of past teams who pivoted dramatically \u2014 from a glucose-monitoring pillow to a sobriety app now valued at over $350 million, and from a camping gear delivery service to a billion-dollar logistics platform.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cWe don\u2019t know which ideas will become the next unicorns,\u201d Weniger said. \u201cBut we\u2019re betting on you.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAt the kickoff event, McLaughlin and Klaus were honored for their contributions to Georgia Tech\u2019s entrepreneurial ecosystem. McLaughlin encouraged the founders through the story of CREATE-X.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom the very beginning, we challenged CREATE-X to be a startup as well. To this day, CREATE-X has raised its own money to do this. It\u0027s a reminder of what it takes to make this happen,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the most difficult challenge you have ever taken. I think at the time, we were probably skeptical about whether students could do it. Now we know that you can.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech President \u00c1ngel Cabrera reflected on the impact of McLaughlin, Klaus, and others who saw the vision of Georgia Tech being an entrepreneurial campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cTen years ago, this was a crazy, absurd idea,\u201d he said. \u201cNow, 150 teams are working on their own crazy ideas. Even though sometimes there\u0027s this idea of the entrepreneur as a loner, what you learn very quickly is entrepreneurship is a team sport.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKlaus spoke about people collaborating and helping solve problems together.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI\u0027m especially inspired by Georgia with its complex history,\u201d he said. \u201cIt continues to be a place where peace can be envisioned and pursued. I think this recognition strengthens my commitment to building bridges, resolving conflict, and lifting up voices that seek unity. As you build your businesses, you\u0027ll be building collaborations and partnerships, and hopefully make the world a better place.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EAs the summer progresses, founders will be guided by CREATE-X\u2019s core values: experiential education, entrepreneurial confidence, and real-world impact. Weniger encouraged teams to \u201cshow up uncomfortable\u201d and \u201cleverage every single resource\u201d available.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe journey will culminate at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/create-x-demo-day-2025-tickets-1236462565819?aff=article\u0022\u003EDemo Day\u003C\/a\u003E, where teams will showcase their startups to investors, industry leaders, and the broader community. The event is free, open to the public, and promises a front-row seat to the next wave of Georgia Tech-born innovation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDemo Day 2025 will take place on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 5 p.m., in the Exhibition Hall.\u003C\/strong\u003E For more information and to RSVP, visit the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/create-x-demo-day-2025-tickets-1236462565819?aff=article\u0022\u003ECREATE-X Demo Day Eventbrite\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECREATE-X program has launched its largest-ever Startup Launch cohort, featuring 137 student teams and 25 faculty\/research teams, totaling 318 founders. The 12-week accelerator supports ventures across diverse industries like AI, healthcare, sustainability, and fashion tech, emphasizing entrepreneurial mindset and customer-focused innovation. Founders will receive mentorship, coaching, funding, and community support, culminating in a public Demo Day on August 28. The event also honored CREATE-X\u2019s founders and supporters, celebrating a decade of impact with over 650 startups and $2.4 billion in portfolio valuation.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"CREATE-X celebrates its biggest Startup Launch yet \u2014 318 founders strong \u2014 with a public Demo Day on August 28 that promises the unveiling of 100 new startups with bold ideas on tackling real-world problems."}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2025-05-30 18:18:38","changed_gmt":"2025-06-05 14:39:37","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-05-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677161":{"id":"677161","type":"image","title":"CX-2025_Kickoff-051325-1-no-background-1.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003ECREATE-X\u2019s 12th cohort of Startup Launch with CREATE-X staff members and Atlanta leadership.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1748629132","gmt_created":"2025-05-30 18:18:52","changed":"1748629132","gmt_changed":"2025-05-30 18:18:52","alt":"CREATE-X\u2019s 12th cohort of Startup Launch with CREATE-X staff members and Atlanta leadership.","file":{"fid":"261030","name":"CX-2025_Kickoff-051325-1-no-background-1.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/30\/CX-2025_Kickoff-051325-1-no-background-1.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/05\/30\/CX-2025_Kickoff-051325-1-no-background-1.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":4955973,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/05\/30\/CX-2025_Kickoff-051325-1-no-background-1.jpg?itok=jlchbrVC"}}},"media_ids":["677161"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.eventbrite.com\/e\/create-x-demo-day-2025-tickets-1236462565819?aff=article","title":"Demo Day Registration"}],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[{"id":"130","name":"Alumni"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"42921","name":"Exhibitions"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"8862","name":"Student Research"}],"keywords":[{"id":"3472","name":"entrepreneurship"},{"id":"166994","name":"startups"},{"id":"341","name":"innovation"},{"id":"9193","name":"accelerator"},{"id":"14601","name":"mentorship"},{"id":"166971","name":"startup launch"},{"id":"137161","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"3652","name":"Demo Day"},{"id":"136901","name":"investor"},{"id":"194534","name":"faculty engagement"},{"id":"174430","name":"research commercialization"},{"id":"815","name":"economic development"},{"id":"194535","name":"startup education"},{"id":"4326","name":"tech transfer"},{"id":"194016","name":"Community impact"},{"id":"2661","name":"training"},{"id":"194536","name":"startup support"},{"id":"192255","name":"go-commercializationnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"193658","name":"Commercialization"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBreanna Durham\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EMarketing Strategist\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["breanna.durham@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}