{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}} {{About|the Stanford business accelerator|'''startx''', the X frontend script|xinit}} {{short description|US non-profit startup accelerator}} {{Infobox organization | name = StartX | image = StartX logo.png | image_size = 180px | formation = 2011 | status = Non-profit | purpose = Startup accelerator | website = {{URL |StartX.com}} }}
'''StartX''' is a non-profit startup accelerator and founder community associated with Stanford University.
It was founded by Cameron Teitelman and Dan Ha in 2011.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Stanford 'Accelerator' Nurtures Start-Ups |date= October 13, 2011 |work= Wall Street Journal online |url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203633104576621571511894728 }}<!-- Behind pay wall --></ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= Stanford students, alumni help each other with their startup dreams |author= Max McClure |work= Stanford Report |date= September 1, 2011 |url= http://news.stanford.edu/news/2011/september/startx-company-startups-090111.html |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= StartX Launches The Best Of Stanford Startups |work= Forbes |date= June 2, 2011 |author= Tomio Geron |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2011/06/02/startx-launches-the-best-of-stanford-startups/ |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref> It began as a spin-off of Stanford Student Enterprises, the non-profit financial arm of the Associated Students of Stanford University, which sponsored earlier events called SSE Labs in 2009 and then SSE Ventures.<ref>{{Cite web |title= About Stanford Student Enterprises |work= Website |url= http://sse.stanford.edu/about |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title= SSE Ventures is Now SSE Labs |work= Website |publisher= Stanford Student Enterprises |url= http://sse.stanford.edu/category/division/sse-ventures |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref> The StartX accelerator differentiates itself from other accelerators in Silicon Valley, such as Y Combinator, in that it is an educational non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that takes no equity in the companies it helps start.<ref name="sse">{{Cite news |title= Stanford Students Build Their Own Y Combinator |date= June 10, 2010|work= Tech Crunch |url= https://techcrunch.com/2010/06/10/sse-labs/ |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref>
At least one member of each company must have some Stanford connection, but undergraduates, graduates, faculty and staff are involved in the seminars and advise program.<ref>{{Cite news |title= NA To Dollhouses: Stanford's StartX Accelerator Launches New Batch Of Startup |work= Forbes |date= June 1, 2012 |author= Tomio Geron |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomiogeron/2012/06/01/dna-to-dollhouses-stanfords-startx-accelerator-launches-new-batch/ |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref> One of its first ventures, Alphonso Labs, developed the Pulse App.<ref name="sse" /> WifiSlam was acquired by Apple Inc for about $20 million.<ref name="D" /><ref>{{Cite news |title= Apple Acquires Indoor Location Company WifiSLAM |work= Wall Street Journal blog |date= March 23, 2013 |author= Jessica E. Lessin |url= https://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2013/03/23/apple-acquires-indoor-location-company-wifislam/ |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref>
StartX's staff is primarily composed of student volunteers from Stanford. StartX received a $800,000 grant from the Kauffman Foundation in August 2012 (which allowed Teitelman to earn a salary),<ref>{{Cite news |title= StartX, The Accelerator For Stanford Students, Wins $800K Grant From The Kauffman Foundation |author= Anthony Ha |date= August 23, 2012 |work= Tech Crunch |url= https://techcrunch.com/2012/08/23/startx-the-accelerator-for-stanford-students-wins-800k-grant-from-the-kauffman-foundation/ |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= Stanford startup incubator StartX lands $800,000 grant from Kauffman Foundation |work= San Jose Mercury News |author= Peter Delevett |date= August 23, 2012 |url= http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_21386768/stanford-startup-incubator-startx-lands-800-000-grant |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref> and $400,000 from Silicon Valley companies in February 2012.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Stanford Student Startup Accelerator StartX Raises Another $400,000, Bringing Total Funding To About $1.5 Million |author= Ryan Lawler |date= February 7, 2012 |work= Tech Crunch |url= https://techcrunch.com/2013/02/07/startx-raises-400k-more/ |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref>
In May 2012, StartX created a specialized track, called StartX Med, for medical-related startup companies.<ref>{{Cite news |title= How Stanford-affiliated StartX began to embrace medical startups |author= Richard Nieva |work= Pando Daily |date= May 31, 2013 |url= http://pandodaily.com/2013/05/31/how-stanford-affiliated-startx-began-to-embrace-medical-startups/ |accessdate= September 12, 2013 }}</ref>
In September 2013, Stanford announced a grant of $1.2 million every year for three years to StartX. Along with Stanford Hospital and Clinics, it created a new Stanford-StartX fund (of uncapped amount) to invest in current and alumni StartX companies.<ref name="D">{{Cite news |title= Stanford Grants $3.6M to StartX Accelerator |work= All Things D |author= Liz Gannes |date= September 4, 2013 |url= http://allthingsd.com/20130904/stanford-grants-3-6m-to-startx-accelerator/ |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title= StartX, Stanford University and Stanford Hospital & Clinics announce $3.6M grant and venture fund |work= Stanford Report |date= September 5, 2013 |url= http://news.stanford.edu/news/2013/september/startx-fund-release-090513.html |accessdate= September 12, 2013 }}</ref> To receive the investment from Stanford, StartX companies must raise at least $500,000 on their own from professional angel investors or venture capitalists.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Stanford University Is Going To Invest In Student Startups Like A VC Firm |author= Billy Gallagher |date= September 4, 2013 |work= Tech Crunch |url= https://techcrunch.com/2013/09/04/stanford-university-is-going-to-invest-in-student-startups-like-a-vc-firm |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref> Stanford-StartX approved six companies by 2013.<ref>{{Cite news |title= Stanford Sails to StartX |author= James Mawson |date= September 9, 2013 |work= Global University Venturing |url= http://www.globaluniversityventuring.com/article.php/2953/stanford-sails-to-startx |accessdate= September 11, 2013 }}</ref>
By 2025, the StartX community had grown to 1300 companies, with alumni creating 20 unicorns and 165 startups valued over $100M.<ref>{{Cite web |title=StartX Accelerator • Stanford Research Park |url=https://stanfordresearchpark.com/articles/success-story-startx |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=stanfordresearchpark.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Community New page |url=https://web.startx.com/community |access-date=2025-12-12 |website=web.startx.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Notable Companies == Notable companies include:<ref>{{cite web |title=StartX |url=https://startx.com/ |website=startx.com |access-date=13 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629152407/https://startx.com/ |archive-date=Jun 29, 2023 |language=en |url-status=live}}</ref> *Nearby *Boosted *Protocol Labs *Centilytics *LimeBike *Ethos *OpenSea *Patreon *Branch *Life360 *Poynt *Kodiak Sciences *Contract Wrangler (acquired by Conga)
== References == {{reflist}}
{{Stanford University}} {{US Business Incubators}}
Category:Stanford University Category:Financial services companies established in 2011 Category:Business incubators of the United States Category:Startup accelerators Category:2011 establishments in California