On the corner of Fourth Street and Texas Tech Parkway is a 44,000-square-foot pillar of light for West Texas entrepreneurs. Texas Tech University's Innovation Hub at Research Park signifies that the future is more attainable today than ever before.
The Hub has 15 entrepreneurial programs to assist startups, including seed funding. These are tools that aid new entrepreneurs of the Hub to outline progress and obtain their goals.
In 2023, the Innovation Hub startup companies raised $8 million in capital investments and were awarded 68 new trademarks, patents, and/or copyrights. The Hub has 60 industry mentors supporting startups with over 7,000 volunteer mentor hours logged last year.
“We're all about economic development -- we want students at Texas Tech to learn here, grow their company here and stay in West Texas,” said Taysha Williams managing director at the Innovation Hub.
The Hub has multiple startup initiatives such as its Texas Tech Accelerator Program that supports entrepreneurs launching innovative startups. This is a year-long program that includes $25,000 in funding, mentors, monthly business bootcamps and additional resources. The Hub is a space for collaboration and ideation, providing entrepreneurial minds with all the resources and connections needed to be successful.
The Accelerator program is on its seventh cohort of entrepreneurs, comprising eight startups. One of those is abbyrose, a phone case company started by current Jerry S. Rawls College of Business student Abigail Rosilier. She is set to graduate in May with a bachelor's in business management and several years of business experience.