The U.S. Is Full of Innovative Thinkers. The Government Needs to Marshal All of Them to Fight Covid-19.
In 1940, as America warily eyed the war raging across the ocean, a scientist named Vannevar Bush approached President Franklin Roosevelt with an idea. The government, Bush explained, should marshal the country’s scientists to collectively—and quickly—work on new technologies to bolster our national defense. FDR agreed. He immediately established the National Defense Research Committee with Bush as […]
Cornell Research announces SARS-CoV-2 seed grant program
The Office of the Vice Provost for Research has announced a new seed grant mechanism to fund preliminary investigations into medical and biological aspects of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The Cornell Rapid Research Response SARS-CoV-2 Seed Grant program – funded through the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, the Center for Vertebrate Genomics, the Center for Immunology and the Office […]
Houston-based venture firm closes recent fund and reflects on COVID-19’s effect on investing
t’s no secret that — in light of coronavirus-caused closures, market disruption, and historic unemployment — venture capitalist might be a little more hesitant to join in on a startup’s investment round. Yet one Houston VC group has managed amidst the crisis — and even succeeded in closing its most recent fund. Fitz Gate Ventures, […]
Thought Piece: How Coronavirus Will Disrupt Future Colleges & Universities
In 2017, Scott Galloway anticipated Amazon’s $13.7 billion purchase of Whole Foods a month before it was announced. Last year, he called WeWork on its “seriously loco” $47 billion valuation a month before the company’s IPO imploded. Now, Galloway, a Silicon Valley runaway who teaches marketing at NYU Stern School of Business, believes the pandemic […]
Launch Chapel Hill’s new director presses ahead with accelerator’s growth despite COVID-19
CHAPEL HILL – Launch Chapel Hill is gearing up to send off its 13th cohort of entrepreneurs to embark on their next stage of startup growth. After spending 16 weeks developing their business model and market strategy with mentors in the accelerator, nine early-stage startups will finish off the program by pitching their products and services to […]
NC Biotech Center awards $1.8M in grants, loans to startups, universities
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – The North Carolina Biotechnology Center awarded 13 grants and loans totaling $1.8 million to universities and bioscience companies in the third quarter of its current fiscal year. The awards, made from January to March, will support life science research, technology commercialization and entrepreneurship throughout North Carolina. The funding will also help universities […]
NC IDEA: It’s time to rethink economic development priorities
DURHAM – Last week we announced the award of sixteen grants ($10,000 each) to startup companies across North Carolina. Since the MICRO program started in Spring 2018, we have awarded over $600,000 to 61 young companies across the state. I wanted to take today’s message to explain how the MICRO program was born from observation and necessity and why […]
TEDCO’s Seed Fund made two new investments in local startups
Following a few months of organizational uncertainty — and despite an ongoing global crisis — Maryland Technology Development Corporation (TEDCO)’s Seed Fund is back to making investments in local startups. Bethesda, Maryland’s NewConnect and Baltimore’s BullFrog AI each received a $200,000 investment from the Columbia, Maryland-based fund last month. Launched in 2013, NewConnect provides high-speed internet access to commercial buildings and enterprises […]
Life science startup targeting pancreatic cancer receives IU Philanthropic Venture Fund investment
The IU Philanthropic Venture Fund has invested $125,000 in the recent Series Seed funding round for Amplified Sciences, an Indiana life sciences startup that leverages patent-protected technology that amplifies difficult-to-find biomarkers. Its lead assay in development helps clinicians test for pancreatic cancer and better treat patients with pancreatic cysts. “Among the incredible Indiana community of biopharma and […]
New COVID-19 Research and Innovation Fund engages community in Vanderbilt’s fight against coronavirus
Vanderbilt University has established a new COVID-19 Research and Innovation Fund. The fund enables donations to support research and innovation projects to fight COVID-19. “Since the beginning of this global crisis, Vanderbilt University has been called upon to use our research capabilities to address urgent needs due to the impacts of COVID-19,” said Interim Chancellor and Provost […]