UK fund’s A$200M investment commitment validates Powerhouse university investment model
London Stock Exchange-listed IP Group’s decision to invest A$200 million over 10 years in commercialising scientific innovations from universities Down Under validates the business model of ASX-listed tech incubator Powerhouse Ventures, says its new chairman Russell Yardley. Powerhouse has a portfolio of 19 companies developing intellectual property spun out of New Zealand research institutions with […]
First half of year start-up funding in Middle East surges
The number of start-up funding deals in the UAE surged in the first half of the year following Amazon’s high-profile acquisition of local online retailer Souq.com and a US$150 million investment in the ride-hailing service Careem. The rise in the number of investments also comes amid intensifying efforts by governments in the region to help small […]
McGill University’s X-1 Accelerator receives $2 million from John Dobson Foundation
The McGill Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship has received a $2 million donation from the John Dobson Foundation, which supports entrepreneurial development in Canadian universities. The funding, which will be spent over a 10-year period, will be used to fund and support the centre’s McGill X-1 Accelerator, an intensive 10-week summer program dedicated to accelerating and […]
John Hopkins, U Maryland, Plank Industries team up on business accelerator to target health and fitness technology companies
new startup accelerator program based at the Johns Hopkins University’s FastForward East will target companies developing health and fitness technologies. Hopkins is teaming up with the University of Maryland, Plank Industries, Brown Advisory and the Abell Foundation to launch the 16-week program, called M-1 Ventures, in September. “I see all these accelerators out there and they’re cool,” […]
Michigan no longer a flyover state for venture capital
While Michigan has become a hot spot for startup funding, Detroit has been boiling in recent years, according to a new Michigan Venture Capital Association study. The 2017 Detroit Entrepreneurial Study revealed Detroit’s startup community has grown 50 percent in the past three years, now making up a quarter of the state’s fledging companies. Last year, 14 of […]
Do federally funded programs help boost innovation at universities?
Likely, there isn’t anyone reading this column who doesn’t have an opinion about what the federal government should and should not pay for. It seems there are numerous federal programs that could probably be cut or reduced without having a negative impact on economic growth. However, the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) and the […]
Through Accelerators and POC Programs, Cape Town is Battling its Nation’s Economic Woes to Become Africa’s Tech Capital
South Africa is suffering an economic crisis. Growth has slowed to 0.3%, its slowest since 2009, and unemployment is at a 14-year high of 27.7%. Manufacturing and agricultural job markets have shrunk. The government is now South Africa’s largest employer. But the gloom has accelerated a shift towards entrepreneurialism and tech, that has been concentrated […]
UNM.STC tech-based startups remain at record high
The University of New Mexico’s technology transfer office reported another solid year of growth for fiscal year 2017, which ended June 30. The number of startups formed with UNM technology remains at a record high for the second year in a row, with 12 new businesses launched. Licensing agreements for companies to take UNM inventions […]
U Washington Alexa Accelerator names 9 startups for inaugural Amazon and Techstars program
The Alexa Accelerator, a new program that Amazon is running in partnership with Techstars, kicked off its first class on Monday. Nine startups from across the globe will spend the next three months in Seattle at the new Amazon Alexa Accelerator, which will support early-stage companies that are working on B2C and B2B technologies related to […]
Florida Institute Funds Aesthetic Technologies startup
The Florida Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research (the Florida Institute) announced today that it has finalized a funding agreement with Dominion Aesthetic Technologies, an innovative company focused on commercializing medical devices in the aesthetics field. The company has licensed technology from the University of Central Florida. The Florida Institute supports new company development […]