The JetBrains Student Startup Program

Where bold ideas spark innovation and shape the future

What is the Student Startup Program?

The JetBrains Student Startup Program is a three-stage series of online courses designed to support students who want to create startups. Each part of the program guides students through a different part of the startup process, guiding them from idea development to product launch and helping them address some of the most pressing questions about the future of technology.

EdTech

What will the education of the future look like? How will AI transform the way we acquire knowledge? What skills will be relevant for people in the future?

Tools

How will the world of developer tools change with the rise of AI? Will everyone become a developer? What will set professional tools apart?

Life Sciences

How can we leverage AI and the increasing abundance of data to make groundbreaking discoveries in physical and mental healthcare?

Responsible AI

AI is undoubtedly going to change the world, but how can we best harness its potential? How can we ensure it benefits humanity? How can technologies protect and support us?

A program in three stages

The program consists of three separate courses, each taking place during a different part of the year. The first stage for people who do not have teams or a developed idea. The second stage is for teams with ideas. The third is for teams with a strong pitch deck and minimum viable product (MVP).

1. Idea Discovery

The first stage of the program is for those who want to create a startup but don’t yet have a team and have not settled on an idea. At this stage, we invite students to attend open online lectures from leading JetBrains experts, scientists, and mathematicians, as well as participate in virtual idea-generation sessions. This is your chance to learn more about the latest trends in specific fields, identify unsolved problems, and pitch your ideas to get valuable feedback.

Who is this stage for?

Anyone interested, whether you have a team or not.

How to join:

Subscribe to our newsletter. We’ll announce the start of this stage in the second half of 2025.

Subscribe for updates

2. Startup School

The second stage of the program is all about taking your idea from concept to MVP, proving that your idea and team can succeed. During this phase, you’ll gain essential knowledge on how to develop your project, access a network of experts and advisors, and ultimately participate in a Demo Day where you can pitch your project to a jury of JetBrains professionals and potential investors.

Who is this stage for?

Teams that already have an idea.

How to join:

Submit an application and pass an interview selection process.

Subscribe for updates

3. Advanced Program

The third stage of the program focuses on supporting the best projects. If your project demonstrates strong potential, you can qualify for a grant and ongoing support from JetBrains.

Who is this stage for?

This stage is for projects that already have an MVP, basic validated user demand, a solid pitch deck, a go-to-market strategy, and a clear development roadmap.

How to join:

Complete the first two stages or apply for an open pitch session. We will announce the dates for the open pitch session soon. For updates, subscribe to our newsletter.

Subscribe for updates

Startup School requirements

1

Student status

Be a current student or graduate student at a university in Europe, the UK, or the US.

2

A team

Have a team of students pursuing technical or life sciences degrees or specialties.

3

Time

Be ready to dedicate at least 10 hours per week to your startup.

4

Enthusiasm

Possess a passion for driving change and creating cutting-edge innovations.

Why take part?

Projects that shape the future

Our program prioritizes groundbreaking, science-driven projects that aim to make a difference in the world. Whether you’re working in AI, quantum technologies, bioinformatics, or other cutting-edge fields, we’ll provide the support you need to turn your vision into reality.

Networking and career opportunities

JetBrains is a global leader in software development, and this program connects you with professionals, investors, and mentors who can open doors to exciting career opportunities.

Unique community of experts

By participating, you'll gain access to a global community of leading JetBrains experts, scientists, and developers. This is a rare opportunity to learn from the best, exchange ideas, and receive valuable guidance for your project.

Support at every stage of your project

Receive the mentorship and resources you need to move the process of building and testing prototypes, optimizing project architecture, and releasing a product that’s ready for real-world applications.

Meet experts

For each lesson, we invite some of the best people from the industry to share their experience and help the students develop their project

Maria Konopelko

Startup Program Lead. With over 12 years of experience in entrepreneurship and project management, Maria has launched offline companies, as well as C2C and B2B products. She led the product management program at the Computer Science Center and has conducted more than 10 startup schools for projects at the idea stage. She was ranked among the top 200 women CEOs and founders of global EdTech startups by Holon IQ.

Tatiana Savelyeva

AI Consultant, Forbes 30/30 in AI and Technology ex-CEO of EVA AI and SupportAI. Tatiana is passionate about communities, AI, and people. With the help of AI, she has saved companies over $100M and earned more than $30M in ARR as CEO.

Nikita Tkachev

Nikita is a head of Product at JetBrains. A product leader driving a portfolio of innovative tools and solutions for data professionals. With experience in sales, business development, and go-to-market strategies, he has a proven track record of successfully delivering 0-to-1 products in the areas of ML and cloud. He is currently focused on scaling and enhancing a mature business unit to achieve long-term growth.

With a degree in computer science, he has held roles at industry giants like Microsoft and AliExpress.

Anastasia Birillo

Head of the Education Research group for JetBrains Research. Anastasia has taught Kotlin to undergraduate students at two European universities and authored several in-IDE Kotlin courses and official Kotlin educational materials. She is currently focused on - applying her experience with the Kotlin compiler and IDE development to educational tools to improve computer science education

Katharina Dzialets

Product Manager and researcher for JetBrains Academy. Katharina is a computer science education enthusiast with a focus on LLM applications for in-IDE learning.

Andrew Zakonov

Department Lead at JetBrains

Andrew is a product leader with experience building effective teams, initiating new product directions and delivering launches of B2C products with a scale up to 100 million active users. He has a proven track record of accelerating growth applying ML/Al technologies, enabling a culture of rapid product experimentation and a growth mindset. He currently leads the AI coding agents product direction at JetBrains.

Artem Elmuratov

A seasoned entrepreneur in biotech and medtech. Artem has a master degree in Mathematics and Mechanics. Worked in Accenture. And afterwards was a co-founder, advisor and consultant of companies in diagnostics, genetics, SaaS and cloud services.

Dr. Liubov Tupikina

Research Scientist at Bell Labs. Liubov combines expertise in mathematics and theoretical physics to study network dynamics, time series analysis, and AI. After receiving her PhD from Humboldt University of Berlin and holding research positions in European and South American universities, she now focuses on network robustness, stochastic processes, and embedding techniques.

Dr. Denis Gorev

Head of Software Division at BostonGene. Denis is focused on bringing the latest tech innovations and best development practices to the field of precision oncology. A strong advocate for statistical methods in genetics and a GWAS enthusiast, he’s always looking for new ways to push the boundaries of science and technology.

What our students say about the program

Most of our students create exciting projects, and some of them even return to the course to start out on new adventures.

Dmitrii Kotov
Neapolis University Pafos, Cyprus

As a Computer Science student, I had little knowledge about turning code into a viable business. This program revealed that code is often the least of your worries when developing a product. With feedback from industry professionals, I learned how to refine our project and gained clarity on whether startups are the right path for me. The structured process of taking a product from concept to investor pitch within four months was a transformative experience.

Daniel Polzik
Neapolis University Pafos, Cyprus

The Start Up School was a great experience that showed me the first month of a startup is about research and idea validation, not coding. It had two parts: lectures from startup experts and discussions where we got feedback on our project. These discussions were very helpful and gave us new ideas. I learned to accept all feedback, make changes, and defend my project confidently.

Artem Makoian
Constructor University Bremen, Germany

Coming from a technical background, I gained an in-depth understanding of the entrepreneurial mindset – what to prioritize, what to ignore, and how to think strategically. The expert mentorship and networking opportunities were exceptional, guiding our team from a simple idea to a promising, innovative concept. This course not only sharpened my ability to evaluate ideas but also inspired me to enroll again to further build on these invaluable experiences.

Valerii Ovchinnikov
Constructor University Bremen, Germany

I really enjoyed the program, so I decided to attend it a second time – this time with a much stronger desire to build something useful and share it with the world. The entire program is highly practical, allowing you to apply the knowledge you gain and receive valuable feedback from experts. For me, the most challenging part is coming up with an idea that not only survives market analysis but is also feasible to implement in reality. If you’re interested in building your first product with expert guidance, I can definitely recommend this course for you.

Ramazan Dzhekshembaev
Constructor University Bremen, Germany

This course is a gateway to understanding how startups truly work – where the money flows from, what’s considered the norm, and how to think like a founder rather than a consumer. It helps you decide if the startup lifestyle is for you by showing you both its excitement and its challenges. Engaging with industry professionals and hearing their real-life stories made the experience invaluable, far more impactful than any motivational book or online article.

Iya Volkova
Neapolis University Pafos, Cyprus

This course provided practical help through expert feedback that helped shape our project into a more thoughtful and market-ready product. The direct interaction with industry leaders was insightful, offering valuable lessons on building projects from scratch and planning their growth. It is the best course for anyone looking to turn ideas into actionable strategies.

FAQ about the spring Startup School 2025