Please note that those accepted to the VIP-X/San Francisco program will be required to attend the in-person sessions and events.

Venture Initiation Program - X/San Francisco (VIP-X/San Francisco) is an accelerator program at Wharton San Francisco that enables entrepreneurs to attain significant milestones with their businesses.

VIP-X/San Francisco provides:

• One-on-one advising
• Group Advising
• Seed funding & awards
• Community 
• Co-Working Space

There are two cycles per year: fall and spring, with a duration of four months per cycle. A venture may be a member of VIP-X/San Francisco for only one cycle. Once the VIP-X/San Francisco four-month term is complete, members exit the program and are invited to remain engaged with Venture Lab.

Currently enrolled Penn students and alumni entrepreneurs who are developing their own ventures and who meet the application criteria are invited to apply to VIP-X/San Francisco. 

Questions?  Email venturelab@upenn.edu with “VIP-X/San Francisco” in the subject line.

Eligibility

Company leadership must include an alumnus/alumna founder/co-founder, or a currently enrolled Penn student in a degree-granting program who is developing his/her own venture, and who meets the application criteria. The team must be based in the San Francisco Bay Area during their time in VIP-X/San Francisco.

This program is exclusively for ventures that already have validated product-market fit, measurable traction (such as revenue), and have assembled all necessary expertise on the team. It is not intended for ventures that are not yet able to measure success or who are missing critical talent. The application process for VIP-X/San Francisco is highly competitive. 

Applicants must have knowledge of business fundamentals to participate, as this knowledge will be assumed for VIP-X/San Francisco members. To be ready for VIP-X/San Francisco, we highly recommend that applicants obtain this knowledge through academic coursework (e.g., MGMT231/MGMT806: Venture Implementation or the Wharton Entrepreneurship Specialization on Coursera).

As a reminder, VIP-X/SF members are required to attend ALL  in-person group sessions each semester and to actively participate in and support the VIP community. 

VIP-X/San Francisco Fall 2025 Calendar dates below.

Location and time: In-Person Meeting (at Wharton San Francisco**) @ 7:30-9:30 am PT (*except where noted otherwise; individual advising meetings follow the In-Person Meeting)

• Live Pitches: Friday, August 29, 7:30am - 9:30am PT
• Program Kick-Off Meeting:  Friday, September 12, 7:30am - 11:00am PT
• Session 1: Friday, September 26, 7:30am - 9:30am PT, followed by 1:1 advising sessions
  
• Session 2: Thursday, October 16, 7:30am - 9:30am PT, followed by 1:1 advising sessions
  
• Session 3: Friday, October 31, 7:30am - 9:30am PT, followed by 1:1 advising sessions
  
• Session 4: Friday, November 14, 7:30am - 9:30am PT, followed by 1:1 advising sessions
  
• Session 5: Thursday, November 20, 7:30am - 9:30am PT, followed by 1:1 advising sessions
  
• Session 6: Thursday, December 4, 7:30am - 9:30am PT, followed by 1:1 advising sessions
  
• Session 7: Friday, December 12, 7:30am - 9:30am PT, followed by 1:1 advising sessions
• Wine Chat: Thursday, December 11, 5:30-7:30pm PT*

** Note: VIP-X/SF sessions meet when classes are in session, therefore guests are not permitted on campus. 

Best of luck,

The VIP-X/San Francisco Committee

Venture Lab

venturelab@upenn.edu