The SCS Startup Engine

CMU School of Computer Science’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

the LINK  |  Fall 2025

Collage of Perlis, Simon, Newell, Reddy, Rashid

Spirit of Entrepreneurship

Many of the roots of computer science can be traced to Carnegie Mellon University, stretching back to the field’s earliest days when faculty and students invented the tools, theories and systems that have shaped modern technology. From artificial intelligence to operating systems, our pioneering spirit — and culture of academic entrepreneurship—continues to influence how the world computes today.

Project Olympus team from left to right: Senior Program Manager Melanie Simko, Program Director Meredith Meyer Grelli and Program Administrator Matthew Katsaros

Project Olympus

Project Olympus is where some of Carnegie Mellon’s boldest ideas take flight. Since 2007, the incubator has fueled more than 1,600 startups, giving students, faculty, and alumni the support and inspiration they need to turn research into companies with real-world impact. Inside, every room hums with possibility as every founder chases the leap from concept to company.

More from the Fall 2025 Issue

  • Close up of an ice hockey player

    The LINK: YinzCam

    After being inspired by the sport of hockey, a Carnegie Mellon professor and her students created a groundbreaking app that offers fans live, in-venue video, stats and more. What started as a research project has since been downloaded over 150 million times by sports fans worldwide. > read the full story

  • Martial Hebert

    Measuring the Impact of Research

    Dean Martial Hebert reflects on how innovation and entrepreneurship shape groundbreaking startups and lasting societal change, and how SCS has long turned research into real-world impact. > read the full story

  • Graphic illustration of AI technology being supported by government columns.

    A Hidden Engine in America’s Tech Industry

    At the School of Computer Science, robots born from research leap from our labs into warehouses, hospitals, and factories. Backed by federal funding and faculty vision, these breakthroughs don’t just advance science — they launch startups, create industries and fuel an economy increasingly built on intelligent machines. > read the full story

  • The Missing Person's Watch app shown on a smartphone

    Staying Ahead of Evolving Security Threats

    From human trafficking and financial fraud to national security threats, today's digital world presents complex security challenges. Fortunately, School of Computer Science alumni are hard at work at the forefront of the fight, developing innovative solutions to counter these growing threats. > read the full story

  • Young scientist looking through microscope

    Applying Computer Science to Life

    AI-powered startups are reshaping healthcare — from easing doctors’ administrative burdens and improving imaging diagnostics to bringing heart monitoring and ventilators into the home. Born from research, these ventures aim to make care more accessible, affordable and effective while accelerating life-saving discoveries. > read the full story

  • Autonomous-driving truck on highway

    Expanding Computer Vision and Automation

    From a pioneering cross-country autonomous journey in 1995 to today's cutting-edge startups, School of Computer Science alumni are leading the way in transportation innovation. CMU-related companies are reshaping industries with advancements in autonomous trucking, traffic management, and even supersonic passenger travel. > read the full story

  • Multi-colored ripple effect

    AI Research Transforms Industries

    School of Computer Science researchers are at the forefront of the generative AI revolution, translating groundbreaking work into successful businesses. From a mixed-reality platform that enhances education to cutting-edge applications in bio-medicine, SCS faculty, students and alumni have started up companies that use AI to solve complex, real-world problems. > read the full story

  • SCS Graduate

    The Journey Continues: 2025 Commencement

    Congratulations to the graduating class of 2025! Please enjoy a selection of photos from the SCS 2025 Commencement weekend. > view the gallery

  • View of a farm with technology overlay.

    Agriculture 4.0: Bloomfield Robotics

    Bloomfield Robotics is redefining farming for a growing world with precision imaging and AI that helps growers monitor crops vine by vine, boost yields, reduce waste and create a more sustainable, data-driven food supply. > read the full story

  • An Efficient Computer processing chip, designed and built to be energy efficient

    Efficient Computer Saves Energy

    What if your computer could do the same work using a fraction of the energy? Efficient Computer, the CMU-born startup building the world’s most energy-efficient processors aims to reshape the future of infrastructure, space and wearable tech. > read the full story