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THE VALLEY OF DEATHBRIDGINGCrossing the “Valley of Death” is a major challenge in moving promising university technology from the lab to commercial and investment partners
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UNIVERSITY GAP FUNDS AND ACCELERATORSCOLLABORATION THROUGHUniversities are implementing gap funding and accelerator programs to bridge this system weakness. Smart corporations and investors are collaborating with universities at this stage to tap into future technologies, investments, and insights
Developing and Sharing Best Practices
Create and expand access to best practices, insights, tactics, and benchmarking to support program improvement and stakeholder development
Increase public/private awareness of the capital and support gap for university innovation and build consensus around gap funding as a solution
Connect university translational research, proof of concept projects, and startups to sources of capital, talent, and commercialization partnerships
University Gap Funding and Accelerator Community News
New Mayo Clinic-ASU MedTech Accelerator opens applications
The Mayo Clinic-ASU MedTech Accelerator, a collaboration between Mayo Clinic and Arizona State University that is designed specifically for medical device and health care technology companies, is now accepting applications. The program, leveraging the resources and venture expertise of two innovative institutions, is designed for companies looking to take their business to the next level. Participants [...]
John Hopkins students learn how to turn their great ideas into viable business ventures
In a campus classroom last week, Johns Hopkins senior Charlie Wang shared a business mantra with a group of fellow students who, like him, are aspiring entrepreneurs: "Ideas are easy. Execution is everything." The words came from venture capitalist John Doerr, whose Kleiner Perkins firm was an early investor in [...]
University of Waterloo’s Velocity taps AngelList to launch new startup fund
University of Waterloo startup incubator Velocity has announced a bold plan to provide funding support to its startups. Velocity will launch an AngelList-powered fund to let investors make equity investments in companies pitching in the program’s Velocity Fund Finals competition. Three times a year, the Velocity Fund Finals (VFF) allows companies in [...]
Four ways to bridge the widening valley of death for startups | TechCrunch
Many founders believe in the myth that the first steps of starting a business are the hardest: Attracting the first investment, the first hires, proving the technology, launching the first product and landing the first customer. Although those critical first steps are difficult, they are certainly not the most difficult on [...]
Got a great business idea? $100K up for grabs in University of Utah’s entrepreneur challenge
Utah college and high school students looking to become the "Next Big Thing" in business have a chance to score some serious cash and get a little real-world experience, thanks to the University of Utah's Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. Lassonde's 14th annual Utah Entrepreneur Challenge is open to students from all [...]
UC Riverside POC awards help faculty commercialize inventions
The Office of Research and Economic Development at UC Riverside has awarded three faculty research projects proof of concept grants to help them move new technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace. This year, the office received 11 applications and selected six for final review. “We look for projects that promise [...]
University of Georgia leads nation in helping entrepreneurs make dreams a reality
A program at the University of Georgia is helping entrepreneurs and the state's economy. Leaders at UGA said talented university researchers have good ideas, but not necessarily the tools to start a business. The University’s Innovation Gateway program is getting those ideas out of the lab and into the hands [...]
Just Boiling…Purdue reaches milestone with helping launch more than 200 start-ups since 2013
In 2018, Purdue University reached a milestone with the creation of more than 223 start-up companies. The university has been monitoring this since 2013 when Mitch Daniels became Purdue’s President and created an initiative to ensure students and faculty gain the rights to their inventions and ideas. Purdue Senior Vice [...]
Escape Room + Travel, Yes! Student business accelerator launches ‘real-world escape room’ for travelers
Western Michigan University launched the Starting Gate, a student business accelerator, in 2013, when the school began to seriously address how to support the transfer of technology from university labs to the marketplace and help commercialize the aspirations of other would-be entrepreneurs on campus. Since then, it has helped launch [...]
Eastern Perspectives: How can an Accelerator program help a Startup?
Will a startup really benefit from an Accelerator Program? This is a million-dollar question in the minds of several Founders and for good reasons! StartUp Accelerators or Seed Accelerators as they’re also called, are programs which encompass seed investments in startups for fixed terms along with mentorship, connections, educational and [...]
Who We Serve
Research Universities, Hospitals, and Institutions
Accelerators and Incubators
Government Economic Development and Innovation Agencies
Angel Investors and Venture Capital
Corporate Innovation and Venture Groups
What We Support
Proof of Concept (POC) Gap Fund Programs
Startup and Venture Gap Funds
Translational Research Gap Fund Programs
Government-supported Innovation Initiatives and Funds
Angel Investors and Angel Networks
Corporate and Venture Capital
Student Venture Funds and Crowdfunding