Organization · Accelerator
LavaLab
LavaLab is a student-run product incubator and startup community at the University of Southern California, established in 2013. It trains undergraduates to develop startups from ideation to launch through a selective program.
Overview
What LavaLab does
What LavaLab is
LavaLab is a student-run product incubator and startup community at the University of Southern California, established in 2013. It trains undergraduates to develop startups from ideation to launch through a selective program.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports program host and community capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Accelerator
- Founded
- Founded in 2013
- Approximate age
- About 13 years
- Structured capabilities
- Program host · Community
- Last reviewed
- April 10, 2026
What Accelerator means
An accelerator is a structured, short-term program designed to speed up a startup's progress toward product-market fit, traction, fundraising, or scale.
Open the glossary entryOfficial channels
Find LavaLab elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
LavaLab as a program host
Program thesis
LavaLab is a student-run product incubator at USC, supporting students in building startups through a structured environment for product development.
Focus narrative
LavaLab focuses on developing innovative technology solutions that address real-world problems. The organization emphasizes a curriculum inspired by Y Combinator and Peter Thiel's 'Zero to One' philosophy, aiming to equip students with the skills necessary to create impactful startups.
Value and support
LavaLab offers a structured curriculum, mentorship, and a collaborative environment for students to develop their startup ideas. Participants gain access to a network of peers and industry professionals, enhancing their learning and growth opportunities.
Format and cadence
- Typical cohort
- 28 companies
- Cohorts per year
- 2
Availability
- Application state
- Accepting
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Regions
- United States
Alumni and track record
Alumni context
LavaLab has produced several notable alumni companies, including: Hatchet: A mission-critical tracking technology used across five continents, with over 450,000 monthly users. Schej: A scheduling platform that simplifies scheduling tasks, also with over 450,000 monthly users. HostAI: An AI support inbox for housing and hospitality, which raised a $500,000 pre-seed round. Carbonlink: A marketplace for on-chain carbon offsets, which secured a $350,000 pre-seed round. VERCI: A creative campus in New York City, boasting 32,000 followers. Koop: A platform offering NFT-based membership passes, which raised a $5 million seed round. Wren: A company focused on offsetting CO2 emissions, which raised a $1.5 million seed round. Sift: A unified observability platform for hardware data, which completed a $17.5 million Series A funding round.
Capability profile
LavaLab as a community
Community overview
LavaLab is a student-run product incubator based at the University of Southern California (USC). It was established to support students in building startups by providing a structured environment for product development. Each semester, LavaLab accepts a cohort of 28 students, including product managers, developers, and designers, to work on startup projects.
Community focus
LavaLab focuses on developing innovative technology solutions that address real-world problems. The organization emphasizes a curriculum inspired by Y Combinator and Peter Thiel's 'Zero to One' philosophy, aiming to equip students with the skills necessary to create impactful startups.
Member value
Members gain access to a structured curriculum, mentorship, and hands-on experience in startup development, alongside networking opportunities with peers and industry professionals.
Membership
- Recorded members
- 28
- Pricing models
- free
Format and cadence
- Modality
- in-person
- Schedule
- cohort-based
- Commitment
- moderate
Availability
- Membership state
- Accepting
Audience and fit
- Audience
- Students
- Benefits
- mentorship and network-access
- Program types
- bootcamp and community
- Selection criteria
- application
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
- Regions
- United States
Community activity
Events and activity
LavaLab hosts various events to foster community and innovation, including Fireside Chats, Bonfire Gatherings, Workshops, Retreats, Pitch Nights, Hack Nights, and Demo Nights.
Notable members
LavaLab has produced several notable alumni companies, including Hatchet, Schej, HostAI, Carbonlink, VERCI, Koop, Wren, and Sift.
Common questions
What to know about LavaLab
Upseed classifies LavaLab under the Accelerator organization type. Its current public profile includes program host and community capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
April 10, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.