This semester, the School of Engineering will offer a unique opportunity for all LAU students from any major and year of study to build their tech startup, using the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The program, titled Launch X, will empower students to ideate, identify their business model and develop their startup through hands-on learning, workshops and interactive activities.

Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the LAU Industrial Hub Evan Fakhoury explained that the initiative “bridges the gap between what students learn in theory and how they can apply it to make an impact.”

He defined entrepreneurial thinking beyond just launching a business. “It is about seeing possibilities where others see problems and acting on them. We are here to help students develop this way of thinking by encouraging them to explore, experiment and build.”

Launch X will offer students the chance to earn six Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) credits, and fast-track access to LAU Innovate, a university-wide startup competition. Through the program, they can benefit from collaborating with peers and faculty mentors, while gaining an edge in their fields of interest.

During spring 2025, the program will feature workshops and seminars on AI, business fundamentals, storytelling and pitching, marketing and social media, Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and market validation, as well as prototyping and user testing. At the end of the semester, students present their ideas on pitch day to a panel of peers, mentors, and faculty, whose feedback will fuel the students’ ideas further.

In the summer, participants will be able to build on their ideas through prototype development, user testing, iteration and optimization, among other essential steps. Their efforts will culminate in a demo day, where they will present their prototypes to an audience of potential investors, faculty, industry leaders and peers.

“Launch X is about creating a space where students can become the innovators, problem-solvers, and leaders of tomorrow,” said Dr. Fakhoury.

An upcoming information session about the program will be held on the Byblos campus on January 21, 2025 at 12:15 p.m.