Invent Penn State

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference, one of the largest tech startup conferences in the mid-Atlantic region, will take place April 10-11 at The Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center. 

The conference highlights innovations from high-growth and emerging markets including IT, energy, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, health care and more. Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi will kick off the conference with a fireside chat with Geoff Martha, chairman and CEO of global health care technology leader Medtronic, at noon on April 10.  

General registration to attend the conference is currently open. 

“The Venture & IP Conference is a unique, high-energy opportunity for innovators, investors and business professionals to connect and engage in discussions about cutting-edge technology — many of which are being driven by Penn State researchers and showcased at this event,” said James Delattre, associate vice president for research and director of the Office of Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, which spearheads the Invent Penn State initiative. 

This year, 12 disruptive technologies from four of Pennsylvania’s leading research universities will be showcased and compete for funding in the annual Tech Tournament, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Office of Transformation & Opportunity. First place will receive $10,000; second place will receive $3,000; and the People’s Choice winner, selected by the audience, will receive $2,000. The featured universities include: 

Other key events at the 2025 Venture & IP Conference include: 

This event features investors hosting tables to meet with entrepreneurs that have been matched with them based on capital needs, industry and other key criteria. Sessions are broken into segments, giving each investor the chance to meet with up to a dozen capital-seeking, well-screened entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs do not need to be Penn State affiliated but must apply to participate in Venture Connection.  

Corey Phelps, the John and Karen Arnold Dean of Penn State's Smeal College of Business, will recognize eight innovative, up-and-coming student startups, who will then present their startups. This event is sponsored by the Smeal College of Business. 

This live recording of the "Dare to Disrupt" podcast brings together three Penn State alumni at the forefront of the electric vehicle (EV) revolution to explore the challenges and opportunities shaping the industry's future. This event will feature an engaging discussion with Benjamin Birnbaum (Keyframe, TeraWatt), Zander Isaacson (Xeal) and Diallo Powell (Stak Mobility) as they share insights on EV infrastructure, charging technology and the role of innovation in accelerating adoption. 

Hosted by the Penn State Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation, this panel will feature esteemed experts from diverse corners of the PropTech world, promising a rich exploration of the intersection of real estate and cutting-edge technology. Panelists include George Burchlaw, a principal at RE Analytics; Amy Polvado, chairwoman of the U.S. Proptech Council, host of podcast "Proptech Genius," and founder and CEO of Facilimax; Charles Conwell, CEO of Novele; and Benjamin Birnbaum, partner at Keyframe and co-founder of TeraWatt Infrastructure. 

About the Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference 

Founded in 2016, the Invent Penn State Venture & IP Conference is one of the largest tech startup conferences in the mid-Atlantic and draws more than 600 attendees, including over 70 startup ventures and more than 40 investment firms from across the country. The conference highlights innovations from high-growth and emerging markets, including IT, energy, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, health care, B2B and B2C, among others. 

Invent Penn State is financed in part by a grant from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community & Economic Development. 

Subscribe to the Invent Penn State monthly e-letter to learn more about available programming.