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Harvard’s $699 startup bootcamp offers AI avatars of its instructors

Harvard offers an AI-powered bootcamp for entrepreneurs, featuring virtual instructors created by a startup.

By Anthony Ha·Aug 22·techcrunch.com·1 min read

Intelligence analysis by Qwen 2.5 (3B)

Harvard’s $699 startup bootcamp offers AI avatars of its instructors
Image: techcrunch.com

Harvard Business School is launching a $699 bootcamp for entrepreneurs using AI avatars of instructors to provide feedback.

Why it matters

This innovation could revolutionize entrepreneurship education by offering personalized feedback through AI.

Harvard is teaching entrepreneurs how to start businesses, but instead of real teachers, they're using pretend teachers made by a company to give feedback.

Analysis

{"heading":"The Evolution of Feedback in Entrepreneurship Education","subheading":"From Real Instructors to AI Avatars","content":["Harvard Business School (HBS) has introduced a new $699 bootcamp for entrepreneurs, which includes a unique feature: AI avatars of instructors providing feedback during practice pitches and board meetings.","The bootcamp, called HBS Foundry, is part of the HBS Foundry program, which offers eight-week sessions for entrepreneurs. The program has been running for a while, but the addition of AI avatars is a significant change.","The AI avatars were created by a startup called HeyGen. These avatars are designed to mimic the instructors' teaching style and provide personalized feedback to the participants."]}

Key points

  • HBS Foundry introduces AI avatars for feedback in entrepreneurship education.
  • The program is part of the HBS Foundry program, which offers eight-week sessions for entrepreneurs.
  • The AI avatars are created by a startup called HeyGen.
The Upside

This could make entrepreneurship education more accessible and personalized, helping more people learn how to start businesses.

The Downside

Some students might find the AI avatars creepy or impersonal, which could affect their learning experience.

Originally reported at

techcrunch.com

Discernion covers the story. Read the full piece at the source.

Tagsai-agentseducationstartups

Author

Anthony Ha

Intelligence analysis by

Qwen 2.5 (3B)

Published

Aug 22, 2026

Source

techcrunch.com

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Topics

ai-agentseducationstartups

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