How University Impact Uses Donor Advised Funds to Innovate and Scale Impact Investing
University Impact (UI) is a nonprofit that invests in companies and nonprofits solving social and environmental problems. Investments are focused on funding the most promising social ventures. UI’s goal is to create the next generation of social impact leaders and provide capital to social ventures solving social and environmental problems. UI does this by […]
UT Boyd Student-Owned Businesses Receive $30,000 in Seed Funds
Four businesses owned by students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, were awarded a total of $30,000 in seed funds in the spring 2021 Boyd Venture Challenge. The Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the university’s Haslam College of Business hosts the annual grant competition. Start-up companies Arid Delivery Products, the Sleepy Owl Company, BusiCard, and Fluffy Friends […]
Coworking, incubators and accelerators… what’s the difference?
From working out of a garage to relocating for an industry-specific accelerator program, startups have more options than ever about where to work and how to build their businesses. Among the most popular are coworking spaces, business incubators and accelerators. You might think these terms are interchangeable, or that they are simply buildings or workspaces. […]
ISU Startup Factory announces its tenth cohort
The Iowa State University Startup Factory announced this month its tenth cohort of entrepreneurs entering the Iowa State-based program. The following are the names of the nine participating startups in the tenth cohort. FRUGI BIOTECHNOLOGY Founded by Jared Dopp, Frugi Biotechnology is a paper-based diagnostic that uses synthetic biology to detect pathogens. MACROLEI TECHNOLOGIES Founded by Nacu […]
7 lessons on building an inclusive accelerator via Science Center’s Launch Lane
Here are some lessons learned that, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, contributed to their success in building an accelerator that is as effective in scaling startups as it is equitable and inclusive. 1. Anonymous review infuses equity in the selection process. As part of the selection process, applicants submitted a two-page document about their venture, and […]
Chicago startup Rheaply raises $2.2M from Microsoft climate fund, MIT
Rheaply, a Chicago startup that specializes in recycling and sourcing unused items, has raised new funding from Microsoft and MIT. The startup, led by CEO Garry Cooper, landed $2.2 million from Microsoft’s Climate Innovation Fund and MIT Solve’s investment arm, Solve Innovation Future. Founded in 2015, Rheaply has set out to strengthen the “circular economy,” a term […]
Where 13 health systems are investing their innovation dollars this year
Below is a list of investments that health systems made in digital health startups and internal innovation efforts in 2021. Ascension Ventures, the healthcare venture arm of St. Louis-based Ascension, closed a $285 million strategic venture capital fund, bringing the firm’s total assets to more than $1 billion. The new fund is backed by 13 health system […]
VTech Proof-of-Concept Program announces second year of funding to bring research to market
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties (VTIP) with LINK + LICENSE + LAUNCH launched its inaugural Proof-of-Concept Program in 2020. The program is designed to help provide researchers paths to market for technologies from research with the potential for significant societal and economic impact. Since then, more than $400,000 has been awarded in grants to Virginia Tech researchers to commercialize Virginia Tech […]