Harvard Business School Selects 61 Students for 2026 Venture Catalyst Cohort
Updated
Updated · hbs.edu · Jun 3
Harvard Business School Selects 61 Students for 2026 Venture Catalyst Cohort
3 articles · Updated · hbs.edu · Jun 3
Summary
Harvard Business School named 61 MBA students to its 2026 Rock Venture Catalyst, a redesigned version of the former Rock Summer Fellows program for early-stage founders.
The summer program gives participants non-dilutive funding, mentorship and a structured startup-building track, starting with a required four-week in-person module in Boston followed by a virtual phase.
The cohort spans sectors including AI, healthcare, climate tech, fintech and consumer products, with teams expected to test ideas, build prototypes and meet customers and investors over the summer.
August’s showcase will cap the program, where founders present progress to HBS faculty, investors and industry leaders as the school positions the initiative as a bridge from classroom learning to venture execution.
HBS pointed to alumnus Brian Elliott’s startup Blitzy—now valued at about $1.4 billion after raising more than $200 million—as an example of the program’s potential trajectory.