On February 6, the Yale School of Management buzzed with energy as more than 200 students and Yale founders gathered for the 2025 Yale Startup Matchmaking event—an evening designed to connect Yale student talent with early-stage Yale student and faculty-founded startups. With more than 400 registrants, 12 startup pitches, and 17 teams showcasing their ventures during networking, the event displayed the growing momentum of Yale’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

A Platform for Startups and Student Talent

Hosted in partnership with Yale Ventures, Yale SOM’s Program on Entrepreneurship, Yale CBIT, and Tsai CITY, the event provided a powerful matchmaking experience for students eager to work with Yale-founded startups—whether through internships, contract roles, or full-time positions following graduation.

The evening started with 3-minute startup pitches, where founders presented their ventures and hiring needs. Attendees from across Yale’s Schools of Management, Engineering, Law, Medicine and Yale College engaged in a high-energy networking session, where they explored opportunities to contribute to startups spanning diverse industries.

“It was inspiring seeing so many of my classmates tackling what they were passionate about—from biotech, fashion, to financial equity!” said Teddy Kim, Yale SOM ’25 and a leader in the Startup & Entrepreneurship Club, who attended looking for inspiration for his own venture. “The energy is contagious, and I love that we were able to create an inclusive environment for creatives to meet and build the next big thing!”

For founders, the event was a valuable opportunity to connect with talented, entrepreneurial-minded students eager to contribute to their ventures. One of the student presenters, Nicole Morrison (Yale SOM ’25), has actively participated in many of Yale's innovation programs. She is a Tsai CITY Founder-in-Residence, a former participant in the Tsai CITY Summer Fellowship and Accelerator Program, and the recipient of the Thomas Selby and Meaghan McGrath Entrepreneurial Award from Yale SOM.

“The level of talent and enthusiasm from Yale students is unmatched,” said Nicole Morrison ’25, founder of WinNumber, who pitched during the event. “As a startup founder, finding the right people to join your team is one of the biggest challenges, and this event gave us direct access to students who are eager to contribute and make an impact.”

A Growing Hub for Entrepreneurship at Yale

The success of the second year of Yale Startup Matchmaking event reinforces Yale’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship and collaboration across disciplines. As the startup ecosystem at Yale continues to expand, events like this serve as a vital bridge between student talent and emerging ventures, strengthening the University’s role as a leading hub for innovation.

For more information on upcoming Yale startup events, visit  Tsai CITY events and Yale Ventures events.  

Presenters

KitchenTable - Jeffrey Davitz

Domain: Digital Health

​ShinnKuu - Nicola Yu

Domain: Food Tech

​Verustruct - Nick Callegari

Domain: Tech, Sustainability

​Tennie - Bailey Ehrens

Domain: Retail/E-commerce

​Harness - Marlo Eltaib

Domain: Tech, Sustainability

​Pyari - Nikita Paudel

Domain: Health

​Comitia - Hanwool Jung

Domain: AI, Content Creation

​Win Number - Nicole Morrison

Domain: Campaign Analytics

​Grow Your Impact - Nataliia Nevinchana

Domain: Sustainability

​Whiskey Bravo - Benjamin Barkoff

Domain: Nonprofit

​SyncChain - Yukang Zeng

Domain: AI

​Calmware - Samantha Sweig

Domain: Retail, Mental Health

​Tabling Only

​ReGenesis - Keith Pemberton

Domain: Tech, Games, Sustainability

​FulcrumCare - Adam Crittenden, Laurie Jimenez

Domain: Med Tech, Dental Care

​IndiaRTI - Aadi Krishna

​Mindful Kala – Shruti Parthasarathy 

Domain: Arts/Culture/Media, Health

​Kairos – Alejandro Rojas 

Domain: AI/Mental Health