Innovation Hub
NSF's
Innovation CorpsTM
Start with the problem
Build what people actually need.
NSF I-Corps™ uses customer discovery to help innovators test the assumptions behind an idea or technology before investing significant time and resources into building it. Participants talk directly with potential customers, partners and stakeholders to better understand the problem they are solving and whether their solution has a viable path forward.
It is the process of identifying who experiences a problem, understanding how they solve it today and gathering evidence that helps determine whether your solution addresses a meaningful customer need.
Find your pathway
Not every innovator needs the same I-Corps experience.
Start with where your team is today. Texas Tech and the I-Corps Hub West network provide multiple customer discovery pathways for entrepreneurs and research teams with different goals, technologies and levels of commercialization experience.
ACTIVATE I-Corps™
For early-stage teams testing a new idea, product, service or technology. ACTIVATE is Texas Tech's five-session virtual customer discovery program built around the Business Model Canvas.
Best for: ideation, validation and early prototypes.
Explore ACTIVATE →I-Corps™ Hub West
Regional I-Corps opportunities help research-driven teams strengthen customer discovery skills and explore the commercial potential of science and technology.
Best for: research-based and deep-tech commercialization.
Explore Hub West →National NSF I-Corps™
The national I-Corps Teams program provides an intensive customer discovery experience for eligible teams seeking to advance the commercial potential of research and technology.
Best for: teams ready for advanced national-level customer discovery.
Ask About National I-Corps →Featured Texas Tech Program
ACTIVATE your idea.
ACTIVATE I-Corps™ is a five-session virtual experience for innovators who are ready to stop guessing and start testing. Teams use customer interviews and the Business Model Canvas to discover who their customers are, what they actually need and whether an idea has a path toward market.
Fall 2026
Program Schedule
ACTIVATE Digital Certification
Qualifying ACTIVATE participants may earn a shareable digital credential recognizing skills in identifying and interviewing customer segments, developing value propositions and understanding Business Model Canvas components. Credentials are issued through Accredible and cost $5 per recipient.
Inside ACTIVATE
Five sessions. One question:
does the market agree with you?
Define
Map your initial customer segments, value proposition and business model assumptions.
Interview
Get outside the building and conduct customer discovery interviews with real stakeholders.
Test
Compare what you believed with what customers and stakeholders actually tell you.
Adapt
Refine, pivot or validate your model using evidence instead of assumptions.
Go Deeper
Research-driven? Meet I-Corps™ Hub West.
Texas Tech participates in I-Corps Hub West, a regional network supporting researchers and innovators as they explore the commercial potential of science and technology through customer discovery.
Hub West offers multiple programs throughout the year for teams with different levels of customer discovery experience and commercialization readiness. Program format, dates and eligibility vary.
Not sure where you fit?
We'll help you find the I-Corps pathway that makes sense for your idea, research or technology.
Innovation Hub at Research Park
-
Address
3911 4th Street, Lubbock, Texas 79415 -
Phone
806-742-0024 -
Email
researchpark@ttu.edu