Alchemist Chicago

Accelerator, Incubator, FellowshipActive
Type: AcceleratorInvestment: $50K (SAFE)Applications: OpenLast deadline: Aug 2026Format: CohortUniversity: University of Chicago (Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation)Location: IL, United StatesContinent: North AmericaWebsiteApply

Facilities: Co-working space at UChicago Science Incubator (Bootcamp); co-working space in San Francisco (program phase)

Support: Customer discovery training, investor readiness workshops, founder coaching, mentorship, IP strategy support, grant-writing advising, access to UChicago student talent, curated investor introductions, fundraising bootcamp, lifetime Alchemist global community membership

Alchemist Chicago is a deep tech accelerator run in partnership between Alchemist Accelerator and the University of Chicago's Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, with quantum startups also gaining access to Duality, the nation's first quantum-exclusive accelerator. The program targets pre-seed and seed-stage deep tech startups with technical founding teams of at least two co-founders; global founders are welcome with no UChicago affiliation required. The program runs in two stages: a one-week in-person Bootcamp in Chicago (October 2026) open to up to 30 selected startups, followed by a structured curriculum (January–July 2027) for up to 15 advancing teams, with two in-person immersions in San Francisco. Advancing startups receive a $50K SAFE investment, co-working space in San Francisco, and $1M+ in partner perks from Microsoft, Google, and others; most participants grant approximately 4% equity. Quantum founders who advance participate concurrently in Duality, receiving additional IBM Quantum access, Booth School of Business training, and specialized mentorship.

Deep Tech (Generalist)Quantum ComputingAI and Machine LearningClimate Tech (Generalist)Advanced Materials and NanotechnologyRobotics and Automation

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