Marblar aims to support university commercialization through competitions and crowdsourcing
Some crowdsourcing competitions, like the X-Prize, ask people to come up with technological solutions to a problem. Marblar, a startup launching this month, is doing it backward—asking people to come up with problems that a given technology could solve.
University of York offers proof of concept funding for social entrepreneurs
THE University of York is to encourage a new generation of social entrepreneurs. The university is one of 56 universities to take part in a pilot of a national programme to encourage the creation of social enterprises, self-sustaining initiatives to achieve social purposes rather than just make a profit.
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.
Confidence in Concept awards will fund 150 pilot projects across 14 universities
The ‘Confidence in Concept’ awards, delivered by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and totalling £7.4m, will give 14 universities grants of between £360,000 and £750,000 to help them progress promising research ideas towards clinical testing. The grants will fund about 150 pilot projects, allowing academic researchers to begin the process of turning a bright idea […]
Sun burn monitor supported by Scottish Enterprise’s Proof of Concept Fund set to roll out
A monitor developed at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, to help prevent over-exposure to the sun is set to go on the market as part of a new spinout company. The device helps to indicate to users when they have been exposed to a certain amount of UV (ultra-violet) radiation by changing colour […]
Pension Funds a Source for Early-stage Commercialization? Silicon Valley Bank Invests in Ireland
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has announced it will lend $100 million to the Irish innovation sector as part of a new partnership with the National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF). According to Reuters, SVB intends to invest in Ireland’s technology, life science, cleantech, private-equity, and venture capital businesses over the next five years.
Eight Scottish universities get access to new seed fund
Scottish investment group Braveheart is to run a £10.3 million seed fund for research commercialisation projects at eight universities in the East Midlands.
German RWTH Aachen University announces its 2012 seed fund awards
This funding instrument (at RWTH) helps generate and develop new ideas and approaches in research. Furthermore, Seed Fund resources indirectly help to enhance the facilities, equipment and infrastructure in the Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences. The essential goal of the Seed Fund is to finance innovative research projects in innovative in the […]
Romania doubles down on it’s software engineers with the Digital Catalyst Fund
Marking the shift in the country’s rapidly growing economy, Digital Catalyst Fund partners include a world-class board of international experts. These range from tech professionals, academics, entrepreneurs and marketers. Founder Crisitian Burci has pledged up to $1.5 million annually, plus 24/7 access to state of the art physical infrastructure.
Student Seed Fund Helps Tomato Farmers
Postgrad students from Cambridge University have won a competition for innovators. The final judging ceremony of the McKinsey Innovate 2012 competition, held at The Commonwealth Club in London produced victory for The Ethical Tomato Co, four postgraduate students on the university’s Engineering for Sustainable Development masters programme. The annual contest, sponsored by global management consultancy […]