What are Spark Grants?
The Project Olympus Spark Grant Fund helps startup projects kick-start their business ideas. It is available for Project Olympus projects ONLY and is funded by charitable gifts from alumni and other community donors.
The spring 2025 funding cycle for Spark Grants has ended. Please check back for future funding opportunities.
Please carefully review the eligibility requirements and uses of funds for the grant in the overview linked below before applying. Eligible startup projects must have a current student founder/co-founder, be actively involved in Olympus programming, and have met over time with an Olympus Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR).
Overview of Spark Grant Program [pdf]
“The Spark Grant and the support from the Project Olympus team made our startup possible. The Spark Grant not only funded the prototyping of our product, enabling us to bring our idea to life, but also supported us in finding manufacturers, creating media, and marketing.”
- Kevin Murphy, Founder, OneBar
What are Recipients Saying?
“The Spark Grant we received was pivotal for Lead-In’s success. It helped us build and showcase our first prototype at SXSW. From there we were able to secure our first customers and make a name for ourselves. Without it, we wouldn’t have gotten our idea from 0 to 1.”
- Maximillian Obasiolu, Founder, Lead-In Records
“The Spark Grant provided us with the opportunity to delve into a significant market segment in Oregon. Through this journey, sponsored by the grant, we were able to engage with potential customers face-to-face, garner valuable insights directly from the field, and forge connections that would have been unattainable had we remained remote.”- Di Hu, Co-Founder, moss robotics, inc.
“For many founders, it's difficult to validate the scope of the problem you're trying to address. The Spark Grant helped Certably validate our thesis with potential customers at the ideation stage, adding tremendous value when it came to building and deploying our minimum viable product!"
- Krish Visht, Co-Founder, Certably
Spark Grants By The Numbers (as of 3/2025)
Support Project Olympus
Spark Grants Awards
Projects are awarded up to $3K micro-grants from the Project Olympus Spark Grant Fund. These grants are made possible through charitable contributions from alumni and Friends of Project Olympus.
2025
- Bam! Bottle
- Basilisk Robotics
- FuturHand
- Perfection AI
- PianoCam
- SpoilSafe
- WokOn
2024
- ActionBar
- Ali Mustafa Games
- Bahar Mar Robotics
- Galen Health
2023
- AB Hero
- Conduit
- Lead-In Record Co.
- moss robotics, inc.
- MyTaba
- ParkOR
2022
- Certably
- EIDAR
- Ocellux
- OneBar
- Piximo Robotics
2021
- Mach9 Robotics
- Pralent
- Synthody
2020
- Convertsation
- Komodo
- Sparkline
2019
- ZODAJ
- Pairi
- Audition Tech
2018
- 3D Farms
- Processly
- Shine Registry
- Wicklets
2017
- BlastPoint
- Choitek
- ComYoot
- InvenTower
- Generational Transfer Entrepreneurs
- Hillside Hydro
- Nimbus Robotics
- StitchBridge
- Toyz Electronics
2016
- 101
- Chiroproktor
- eeBooks
- Inventory Connection
- KOPO
- Meal Matcher
- Micetro
- Robotany
2015
- Carbon Freight
- Hyliion
- Nebulus
- Outliers Finance
- Rubitection
- SimSim
- VIT
2014
- Abililife
- Approach.io
- ConnectWith
- Digest-o-mat
- NoRILLA
- PieceMaker
- RistCall
- SemanticMD
- ZenRez
2013
- Baloonr
- Lightside Labs
- PieceMaker
- PlayPower
- Premier Distributor
- RistCall
- Schema Fusion
- Vendalize
2012
- AutoRef
- EEMe
- Globatrek
- Prooty
2011
- BlackLocus
- OnlyinPgh
2010
- Smart.Mirror
- Spark Meter
2008-2009
- Accel Diagnostics
- Fooala
- Mindkin
- Semiotic
Thank you to our Spark Grant Sponsors:
Michael Baum
Tony R. Berkman
Manuel & Lenore Blum
Roger Byford
Eric C. Cooper
Eric & Melissa Daimler
Marcel D. DePaolis
Michael Donohue
Marc C. Guldimann
Adrian Hodges
James Jacob Huttner, M.D., Ph.D.
Theo Nicholas
The Painter Family
The Tey Family
Richard and Nancy Waichler
Thank you to our Spark Grant Pre-Seed & Seed Level Crowdfunding Donors
Tiffany Black
Srinath Chavali
John Choi
Randy & Pam Eager
Samir & Elora Gupta
Jeremy Guttman
Ahmad Jarjis Hasan
Philip Lehman
Jill Lehman
William Lutz
Ian Magazine
Jason McDowall
Reed McManigle
Ray Milhelm
Catherine Mott
Kit Needham
Thomas Shelly
Neil Soni
Stephen Tatum
Eric Wise
John D. & Tara Lee Wise
Jake Witherall
Thank you to our Spark Grant Entrepreneur & Bootstrap Level Crowdfunding Donors
Alison Alvarez
Niccole Atwell
Sarabeth Boak
Andy Chan
Todd Medema
Vincent Ponzo
Brandon Taylor
Nesra Yannier
Xunjie Zhang
Omar Ahmad
Lenore Blum
Kevin Elfenbein
Fang Liu
Mel Pirchesky
Justin Weinberg
Thank you to our Swartz Center Patrons
