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| CORE SWARTZ CENTER EVENTS, PROGRAM DEADLINES & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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|  | 2025-27 James R. Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellows
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Only 2 Days Left ~ Apply by Sunday, October 4!
Are you a CMU first-year graduate student passionate about entrepreneurship with goals to build a successful startup? Interested in joining a strong network of startup-minded students and alumni? Applications for the next cohort of James R. Swartz Entrepreneurial Fellows are currently open.
The Swartz Fellows program is a two-year opportunity that fast-tracks the careers of CMU's graduate students who are passionate about entrepreneurship. Students must currently be working on a startup idea to be considered for this highly selective program. The program focuses on hands-on experiences, networking, mentoring and courses in entrepreneurship, as well as a mentored summer internship with a top-tier VC-backed startup, preferably within the high-tech, high-growth environment of California's Silicon Valley and San Francisco (Bay area encouraged but not required).
Applications will be accepted through Sunday, October 4 at 11:59 PM ET.
Students must currently be working on a startup idea to be considered.
Early applications are encouraged.
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2026 Corporate Startup Lab Case Competition
For the fifth year in a row, the Corporate Startup Lab Case Competition is sponsored by PNC Bank, with cash prizes totaling $20,000, including $12,000 for the first place team.
This year’s theme is: Bridging Generational Trust: AI for Asset & Family Transitions
Teams will design AI-driven client platforms and advisor tools that help financial institutions support families through major asset transitions such as inheritances, business sales, and estate settlements. The goal is to strengthen client relationships, retain assets, engage next-generation family members, and help advisors be more proactive.
The competition is open to graduate students at U.S. based universities. Teams of three to four students can register through Saturday, October 17th.
Register for the next Info Session:
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99 Tartans Fireside Chat!
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026
Time: 5:30-6:30 PM ET
Location: CMU Swartz Center, 4765 Forbes Avenue, Tepper Quad, 3rd Floor
99 Tartans Alumni Angels will be hosting Severin Hacker, co-founder and CTO of Duolingo, for a live, in-person fireside chat on October 8 from 5:30-6:30 PM ET at the Carnegie Mellon University, Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship. A live Zoom feed will be available for virtual attendees.
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Carnegie Mellon University Announces Historic $3B Gift from Citadel CEO and Philanthropist Kenneth C. Griffin
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| Efficient Computer Raises $97M Series B, Valuing the Startup at $650M
Efficient Computer Corp. announced it has raised a nearly $100 million Series B fundraising round, valuing the company at $650M.
The startup was founded in 2023 by a group of researchers, professors and alumni from
Carnegie Mellon University.
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Newfi And Addy AI Announce Partnership
Newfi and Addy AI, a VentureBridge '23 startup participant founded by CEO Michael Vandi, have announced a collaboration focused on the continued evolution of artificial intelligence in mortgage lending.
Newfi has built innovative lending products and a modern approach to the mortgage market. As the industry evolves, the company continues to explore new technologies that can support its teams and customers.
Addy AI builds artificial intelligence specifically for the mortgage industry, working with lenders to bring new AI capabilities into their organizations.
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| Pittsburgh International Airport Taps Skild AI-powered Robots for Pilot Program
The Pittsburgh International Airport will soon have tech from one of the city's hottest robotics startups roaming around. As part of the airport's xBridge innovation program, four legged robots operating on Skild AI's software will be monitoring the terminal, initially monitoring air quality and eventually checking for spills and overflowing trash bins.
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Upcoming Events in October for CMU Founders in San Francisco Bay Area
Join CMU alumni in the Bay Area at four events covering: whether to take corporate capital, when venture debt makes sense, where to find the people and resources that can help your company grow and a conversation around how open and closed models could shape what you build.
Date: October 5
Moffett Field, 6 PM | PT
CMU Founder Resources: Connect, Learn & Grow
RSVP
Date: October 7
San Francisco, 6 PM | PT
Open or Closed? How CMU is Building the Future of AI on Both Sides
RSVP
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Date: Monday, October 5
Time: 6-8 PM PDT
During SF Tech Week, join fellow CMU founders, entrepreneurs and alumni for an evening of connection and conversation focused on the resources available to help you build, launch and grow. Hear from leaders across CMU’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and Bay Area network, including perspectives on funding, mentorship, community and founder support.
Whether you’re just getting started or scaling your venture, come connect with the people and resources that can help move your entrepreneurial journey forward.
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Mach9: AI CAD Software for Civil Engineering
Date: Tuesday, October 6
Time: 6:30 - 7:30 PM | ET
Location: Swartz Center, Tepper Quad Bldg, 4765 Forbes Ave, 3rd Floor
Mach9 was founded at the CMU Swartz Center in 2021. The company makes AI CAD software for civil engineering to expand the world's capacity to build and maintain the infrastructure people depend on.
Haowen Shi (ECE 19, MSR 21) and Jack He (ECE 25) will be presenting. Pizza will be provided. Stop by to learn about their work and ask questions!
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| Agentic Memory Meetup: Architecture, Demo/Sales
Enablement Tool
Date: Tuesday, October 13
Time: 6-8 PM PST
AI agents forget everything between sessions. This is a working session on fixing that: real architecture, a live demo, and practitioners already using it in production.
Vishakha Gupta, Founder & CEO of ApertureData, will walk through Aperture Nexus, the open source memory and cognition layer she built for this exact problem: how it's built on ApertureDB, how commits become memory, shown live in 15 minutes.
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Date: October 22, 2026
Time: 5-7 PM | ET
Location: Dentons Cohen & Grigsby P.C.
Celebrate the Fall season with an evening hosted by Dentons! Join us for a networking event among the city's innovation and entrepreneurship community.
Enjoy light hors d'oeuvres, drinks, and engaging conversations as we gather to reconnect with old friends, forge new connections, and immerse ourselves in the dynamic spirit of innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology.
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OTHER APPLICATION DEADLINES
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| Apply by October 23!
AI is moving fast. The question for small and mid-sized businesses is how to put it to work.
Beyond Better Prompts: Build Better AI Tools is a new hands-on program from the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business Initiative designed to help family and owner-led businesses move from experimenting with AI to real business application.
Build and test AI tools, identify high-value opportunities, and leave with a practical roadmap for putting AI to work in your business. No technical background required.
Ready to put AI to work? Applications close on Friday, October 23. Significant scholarships are available for early applicants.
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| Apply November 27 through December 19!
The Horizons Challenge is a national competition from xFoundry, run in partnership with NASA and open to students at any accredited North American university or community college.
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| CONNECTS/START SMART LEGAL SEMINARS
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| Can't make a CONNECTS? Watch on our YouTube channel.
See the full schedule and register for ALL of the seminars here!
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|  Date: October 6
Splitting the Founders Pie & Other Aspects of Equity Compensation, Speaker: Frank Demmler, Startup Whisperer
REGISTER
| |  Date: October 8
Early-Stage User Aquisition & Marketing
Speakers: Matt Spettel & John LaGue, Trainwell
REGISTER
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| START SMART LEGAL SEMINAR
**All Sessions are Virtual ~ 5:00-6:15 PM ET**
Date: Tuesday, October 13
Starting a Business on an F-1 Student Visa
Students with a Visa can legally start businesses as well as work on a startup team. Come learn the details of how to do this without violating your student status and immigration options after graduating.
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CMU ENTREPRENEURSHIP CLUBS
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| Click the images to find out more about each of the Clubs!
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The CMU T&E has a jobs board, available for people across the community to share and seek new opportunities in the startup and entrepreneurship ecosystem. Find out more and visit the website here.
The CMU Tech & Entrepreneurship group aims to build a bridge between CMU students and alumni across the startup and tech continuum. With main chapters in NYC, Pittsburgh, and SF, we offer a range of in-person and online events and programming in the form of panels, workshops, founder/investor engagements, startup support, and socials to foster collaboration, innovation, and networking opportunities.
Join 7,000+ Tartans on our Slack workspace and mailing list for resources and updates on how you can engage in the community and CMU entrepreneurial ecosystem.
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The following companies help directly support our programming and entrepreneurs.
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Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
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Legal Services Weekly Virtual Office Hours with Matt Kirmayer
Mondays 1:00-3:00 PM ET (10-12 PT)
Matt Kirmayer of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, is offering office hours for newly established startup and emerging companies. Matt specializes in representing technology startups and emerging growth companies, assisting with entity formation, fundraising and overall growth needs. Startup companies with a founder who is a CMU graduate, undergraduate or alumni is eligible to register for
an appointment. Complete the Signup Form for a 30 minute session by the Thursday prior to your
desired appointment.
Contact Daria Stokes or Sean Mawhinney for office hours outside of these regular hours.
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Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
Steptoe & Johnson PLLC is a multi-jurisdictional, full-service law firm that takes a progressive approach to providing counsel at each stage of a client’s life cycle. Our dedicated team works closely with our clients to form entities, advise on the most advantageous entity type, and design and negotiate joint ventures and mergers and acquisitions. If a client has a dispute, Steptoe & Johnson has a team of business and product liability litigators and labor and employment lawyers to guide clients through these often stressful and disruptive situations.
Steptoe & Johnson brings a strong skillset for data privacy, cyber security and intellectual property matters which are frequent concerns for startups and technology companies. We offer competitive and flexible rates and aim to provide value to our clients.
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| HOW TO WORK OUT OF THE SWARTZ CENTER
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Swartz Center Education and Resources
No matter what phase of the entrepreneurship cycle you're in, there are programs and resources at the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship that will take your idea to the next level.
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COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES/RESOURCES
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FIND OUT WHAT OUR PARTNERS ARE DOING
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Have startup news or opportunities to share? Have questions about the Swartz Center Weekly Bulletin? Send news, opportunities or questions to Sonya Ford, Program Manager.
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Carnegie Mellon University Swartz Center For Entrepreneurship
5000 Forbes Avenue | Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 |
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