Firebrand Ventures partners with UMKC to cultivate entrepreneurs

Firebrand Ventures has partnered with the University of Missouri-Kansas City to help local startup entrepreneurs. As part of the agreement, the Kansas City-based fund will offer graduates of UMKC’s E-Scholars program an opportunity to receive an investment from Firebrand starting in 2017. Housed under UMKC’s Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (RIEI), E-Scholars offers students […]

3 eminent alumni fund innovation centre at IIT-Madras

IIT, Madras on Wednesday unveiled its centre for innovation and entrepreneurship which will pave the way for more teaching, research, product development and policy-making initiatives.Named the `Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Centre’ (GDC) after three of its wellknown alumni, it has an initial funding of $1 million from Infosys vice-chairman Kris Gopalakrishnan and venture capitalists Desh Deshpande and Jaishree […]

 10 corporations, Georgia Tech launch Engage, an accelerator program and venture

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the CEOs of 10 of Atlanta’s leading corporations today jointly announced the launch of Engage, a mentorship-driven accelerator program and venture fund. The Atlanta-based Engage accelerator is open to startups across the country, with a focus placed on mentoring and market access strategies.  Applications will […]

Northwestern Mutual creates $50 million Future Ventures Fund

Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. said Thursday it has established a $50 million venture fund to invest in start-up companies that are developing new financial technology and other innovations the company could offer to clients. Investments from the new Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures Fund — ranging between $500,000 and $3 million each — will develop […]

Four Ugandan Startups Win $10000 Seed Fund in Up Accelerate Program | PC Tech Magazine

At least four Ugandan start-up groups have been awarded USD 10000 each, to assist them in the development of transformative solutions to tackle persistent sexual and reproductive health bottlenecks in the country. The four groups were revealed on Tuesday January 17th after a pitching session in the Up Accelerate program at Outbox hub in Kampala. […]

UCSF Receives $500 Million For Faculty And Research Improvement from Foundation

University of California – San Francisco has received a $500 million donation from the late Helen Diller through her foundation. This is one of the largest donations made to the university as well as in the history of other academic institutions. In its official website, the University of California San Francisco confirmed that the Helen […]

Mind the Gap Summit: Turn Alumni, Foundations, and Friends of the University into Gap Fund Investors

Donations, endowments, and direct investments from alumni, private foundations, and other stakeholders of the research institution into supporting gap funding programs, is the largest and growing source of proof of concept and startup funding programs. These friends of the university contribute over 50¢ on every dollar into the formation of these funds.

Proof of concept and startup gap funding programs embody the intersection between research institution innovation, societal benefit, and philanthropy. They offer a natural link to engage alumni, foundations, corporations, and friends of the universities.

These funds and programs require coordination between the Tech Commercialization Offices, Corporate & Foundation Relations , Development Offices, and Alumni Offices and are a great example of the emerging trend of campus-wide collaboration in innovation partnership and commercialization priorities.

Join us as we take a multi-perspective approach to how groups are best structuring their programs for philanthropic partnerships as a major source for innovation funding and support.

Wake Forest Innovation’s Catalyst Fund to support 6 early-stage technologies 

Six early-stage technologies, all invented at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centerand being developed through Wake Forest Innovations, will receive a combined $595,000 investment to support their initial development. The funding was announced Wednesday by Pappas Capital and Wake Forest Innovations, the money coming through the Catalyst Fund, a $15 million technology development program established by […]