i-Teams brings together creative, highly qualified and motivated graduate students to work collaboratively with course faculty, researchers in MIT labs and advisors from the local business and venture community. i-Teams projects focus on assessing the commercial feasibility of scientific and engineering breakthroughs (in both economic and social terms). Most of the projects are based on ideas that have received Deshpande Center grants although we also draw on other parts of MIT (and in some cases Harvard) for projects. Together we determine technological directions and identify product markets. This process ensures that we deliver on the promise of bringing university-born discoveries into the marketplace.

The research projects have been selected based on their potential for leading to a future license or a start-up. Each team is expected to develop a go-to-market strategy. After the completion of the course, some projects may move on to other classes (such as the 15.390 New Enterprises), some may form the basis of a business plan submitted to the MIT $50K/$100K Business Plan Competition. A few will be ready for direct presentations to venture capitalists and angel investors. For example, the 2004 Active Joint Brace ("Myomo") i-Team later became the first place winner of the $50K Entrepreneurship Competition.

The class is led by i-Teams faculty director Professor Fiona Murray, with additional support from Lecturer Luis Perez-Breva, Deshpande Center faculty director Professor Charles Cooney, and MIT Entrepreneurship Center Chairman Professor Edward Roberts provide additional support. Teams benefit from the advice of carefully selected mentors (known as Catalysts) as well as and guest-lecturers who are leaders in their fields. Together, these individuals bring the rich MIT entrepreneurial ecosystem into i-Teams.