Berkeley NSF I-Corps

By Indra Deshmukh | February 7, 2025

NSF I-Corps is a free remote two week course based on Steve Blank’s Lean LaunchPad. The three evening class sessions teach you to identify your top customer segment and value propositions, and accelerate finding product market fit.

Outside of class, you’ll do at least 20 interviews with potential customers as part of the customer discovery process. You can expect to spend 30-35 hours outside of class on interviews.

In March, Berkeley NSF I-Corps is offering a second class happening at the same time: I-Corps @ LSEC, a collaborative course with the UC Berkeley Life Sciences Entrepreneurship Center that offers an I-Corps curriculum tailored to early stage life science startups.

Eligible teams that complete either course with instructor endorsement might also qualify for the National NSF I-Corps program, which includes a $50,000 National Science Foundation customer discovery grant. Through the AWS Activate @ Berkeley program, teams who successfully complete either course are eligible for $5,000 in AWS credits.

Course sessions are held online March 17, March 20, & April 2.

Contact: Dave Weiner, wdavid@berkeley.edu