Want to Start a New Venture? Apply to EPIC’s 2019 Spring Batch!

2 min read

Do you want to transform your idea into a new business or  complement your entrepreneurial coursework at the American University of Armenia (AUA) with real-life experience? The 12-week idea-stage startup incubation program of the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is just for you.

The EPIC Incubator helps early-stage teams with idea validation and business model creation. During the program, resident teams learn the lean startup framework and receive guidance and mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs, AUA faculty, and AUA (and EPIC) alumni, complemented by expert advice from professionals in various industries and business domains.

A vibrant community of business and technical mentors and advisors support EPIC. Faculty from AUA’s business, engineering and computer science programs form the core of EPIC’s in-house mentors, many of whom have started, managed, funded, and advised numerous startup ventures in Armenia and abroad. In addition, AUA’s new Technology and Innovation Legal (TIL) Clinic provides practicing attorneys as pro bono advisors to support EPIC startup teams.

EPIC maintains close ties with a large and diverse network of AUA alumni who have committed to serve as mentors and advisors to our student groups or to share their worldwide contacts and business networks.  AUA is proud of its close-knit community of alumni and entrepreneurs who stay connected with EPIC.  The previous batch of startups included one alumnus in the jury responsible for selecting student teams, six alumni who delivered talks and workshops in Fall 2018, and eight who served as mentors and advisors.

The program also offers 24/7 access to AUA facilities, access to a network of investors and opportunities for travel, making friends, and having fun.

Sargis Keveyan, a current EPIC resident and the Founder of COWnet, comments: “The atmosphere in EPIC is really great, everyone is very supportive and the sofa is really comfortable. Here I have learned the key principles of how to start a venture. I applied those for taking steps and moving forward instead of rethinking my idea for many times. Once you take the first steps, your venture idea  moves on. I hope to keep cooperating with EPIC in the future.”

Arman Sargsyan, a current EPIC resident and the Founder of RendChain, adds: “The thing that EPIC is open 24/7 makes it really helpful and attractive for startupers, plus the coffee and soft drinks. I have gained the most important skill of not procrastinating. I realized that we should dream big and take small steps. Being in EPIC also helps us stay involved in the startup ecosystem of Armenia.”

Applications for the EPIC Spring 2019 Batch are now open at EPIC.aua.am. The EPIC incubation program gives the opportunity to AUA students and alumni to start their journey in the world of entrepreneurship. Hurry up and apply now through this application link!

The Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center (EPIC) is a platform for promoting entrepreneurial education, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and startup venture incubation. EPIC provides an ecosystem for the American University of Armenia’s (AUA) emerging entrepreneurs consisting of first-class facilities and collaborative workspace, programs and events, and a network of mentors, advisors and investors. EPIC fosters the understanding and application of entrepreneurship with students and faculty at AUA to craft high-impact multidisciplinary ventures.