Utah’s Tech Commercialization and Innovation Program invests $600K in 15 more projects
Fifteen promising innovative technologies just got a $40,000 boost. For the first round of the new fiscal year, the Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) approved $600,000 of grants in support of new technology and research that universities and university licensees are seeking to take to market. The grants are designed to help build […]
Obama administration announces its i6 challenge proof of concept center recipients
Undoubtedly from the recommendations from the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (NACIE), and other works directed at the promise of proof of concept centers like the IMPACT paper, “The i6 Challenge is a multi-agency grant that encourages and rewards innovative, groundbreaking ideas that accelerate technology commercialization, new venture formation, job creation, and economic growth across the […]
Portland Seed Fund touts third round of start-ups, raising a second fund
Portland Seed Fund Funding: $3 million from private and public sources, including $800,000 from the city of Portland, $250,000 from Hillsboro and $500,000 from the Oregon Growth Account (funded by state lottery dollars). The plan: Seed two dozen companies over two years with initial funding of $25,000 apiece. Follow up with additional funding for the […]
European Research Council funds 33 new proof of concept projects
The European Research Council (ERC) will release a new round of proof of concept grants to 33 research projects. Each project will receive EUR 150,000 that is put towards commercial translation such as IP dilligence, market research, and commercial validations. There was a yield rate, or projects funded vs proposed, in this round of 44%. […]
IP Shakti, offers proof of concept approach and funds for life science and biomedical innovation
IP Shakti, LLC, a Princeton based innovation fund, offers a new approach for investing in the early stages of life science and biomedical innovation. University inventors often face the “valley of death” funding gap when they look to develop a new innovation. IP Shakti is now an option for medical device innovators when venture capital […]
U of New Hampshire awards innovation grant to coating company
The Innovation Research Center at the University of New Hampshire has awarded a Granite State Technology Innovation Grant to ArgenTech Solutions, Inc. (AgTS) to help develop a high-performance, photoluminescent powder coating additive suitable for advanced safety and military applications.
Convertible Equity vs. Convertible Debt
In the most recent Mind the Gap report, we found that ~75% of the 23 surveyed startup-focused gap funds (business formation, business growth) were structured to accept equity (70%)/convertible debt (30%) as a return/repayment strategy. This recent article from Fortune, suggests a convertible equity versus convertible debt strategy for pre/seed staged-companies. A traditional convertible debt […]
Mayo Clinic, venture firms team to support Rock Health tech incubator fund
After two years of nurturing medical-technology companies–including one that turns an iPhone into a functioning microscope and another making games to sharpen mental acuity–San Francisco incubator Rock Health has formed a partnership with several venture firms that will see more investment dollars flowing to early-stage companies. Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers , Aberdare Ventures , […]
Overview: Portland State University Venture Development Fund
The University Venture Development Fund (UVDF) is a legislatively created and donor funded venture/ grant program unique to the State of Oregon. As a fund used to fill the funding ‘gap’ between university innovation and commercial products and services, the UVDF benefits faculty, the university, and company and individual donors (with a generous Oregon tax […]
Estonian Tallinn University offers Prototron Fund with help from Swedbank
On the 14th of August prototype fund called “Prototron” was launched by Tallinn Science Park Tehnopol, Swedbank and Tallinn University of Technology. The aim of the fund is to finance the development of first products – prototypes. Swedbank will financing fund of Prototron is 120 000 euros for the first three years.