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The Institute for the Commercialization of Public Research (the Institute) announced today that it has finalized a funding agreement with NeuroNet Learning, providers of a learning enrichment program designed to help children improve motor skills, language, and information processing. Working with Florida’s research universities and institutions to support new company creation and job growth, the Institute’s Seed Capital Accelerator Program bridges early funding gaps, requiring recipients to ra
Interest: At $10.2 million and almost a year later, with 70,000 of 85,000 Kickstarter watches shipped to backers, and thousands more preordered on its own site, Pebble is returning to take venture capital on its own terms.
The company has now raised $15 million, largely from Charles River Ventures, led by CRV partner George Zachary.
Interest: Kitware, a leading provider of scientific R&D software solutions, today announces new Phase II SBIR funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for the continued development of an open-source, high performance computing (HPC) simulation and computation framework. The developed model-centric integration framework enables researchers to select only the toolkits and applications needed to perform a set of simulation, computation, or analysis tasks.
Interest: One of the country’s largest startup incubators will soon be moving into the Cortex bioscience district in St. Louis. The move marks Cambridge Innovation Center’s first expansion out of the Boston area, where it houses more than 500 small to mid-sized companies. The new facility is expected to house more than 100 startups, along with Wash U’s Office of Technology Management, which helps turn academic research into commercial products.
Interest: The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today honored eighteen high-tech small businesses and three individuals in Washington, D.C., for the critical role they play in research and development for the government and for their success in driving innovation and creating new jobs. The Tibbetts Awards, given by SBA, honor outstanding small businesses and individuals who participate in the SBA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. In addition, three past participants in SBIR who r
Interest: Gathering at the National Venture Capital Association’s VentureScape conference this week, venture and corporate investors met with executives leading top startup accelerators in a crowded session to discuss the health of the “startup ecosystem.”
Two main questions on venture investors’ minds: “How do we know if accelerators are succeeding?” And: “Are we in an accelerator bubble?”
Interest: A miracle drink to cure hangovers. A cream that brightens the color on tattoos. An ergonomic shovel. A website that cuts the humble car salesman out of the deal.
In addition to dreaming up these inventions, students in Loyola Marymount University's new business-incubator class created the prototypes.
Interest: The Madison office of law firm Perkins Coie LLP is sponsoring a first-ever award with a $10,000 prize for the University of Wisconsin-Madison team that demonstrates the most market-ready innovation.
UW-Madison is the fourth campus to be chosen for an Innovative Minds competition. The others are Arizona State University, the University of California-Los Angeles and the University of Washington,
Perkins Coie launched the program in 2011 to help advance creative thinking, innovation and entrepren
Interest: You can’t accuse billionaire Ronald Perelman of not investing in the future—the FORBES 400 lister just put up $100 million to help teach entrepreneurs to navigate the fast changing currents of modern markets.
Interest: In the age of startup-mania, accelerators, incubators and the constant search for venture capital, Northeastern University is taking a proactive approach to getting would-be founders to an entrepreneurial happy-place.
Interest: The Global Venture Labs Investment Competition (Global VLIC), the longest-running investment competition for graduate student entrepreneurs, will hold its 30th annual competition May 2-4 at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center at The University of Texas at Austin.
Interest: Each year, more than $2.3 billion in grants and contracts are awarded by 11 federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs.
Interest: Georgia took steps this week to create a public-backed venture fund aimed at keeping startup companies from fleeing the state when funding dries up.
The fund could eventually pump $100 million into innovative new companies, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported on Tuesday.
Interest: Crowdfunding is not just limited to startups, small businesses tirelessly trying to get their feet off the ground. Universities are using the innovative platform as well, striving to tell their story and campaign for their needs, raising money for a project, class, initiative that they believe to be of value. George Mason University is one of the best examples of a college stepping up and trying out alternative, more forward-thinking methods for fundraising their endeavors, currently in the mids
Interest: Harvard University just got a shot in the arm from one of its alumni: the Blavatnik Family Foundation donated $50 million to Harvard to launch an initiative to expedite the development of basic science discoveries into new therapies for patients and cures for disease. The Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator aims to identify early-stage technologies that show promise, upgrade their value, and prepare them for licensing and commercial development.
Interest: Senior fashion merchandising major Caroline LaPrise recently became one of three student finalists in the Hen Hatch Venture Funding Competition through the university’s Venture Development Center that involves pitching business ideas to investors. LaPrise has now sold over 500 handmade pieces, and she will present her investment pitch at the President’s Forum, an annual event held to help provide opportunities to entrepreneurs through exhibitions and funding awards, this Thursday.
Interest: Two business teams founded in Northwestern University’s NUvention entrepreneurship courses took first and second place at the Rice Business Plan Competition this weekend, walking away with more than $1 million combined in cash and investments.
Interest: Duke University senior Matt Pleatman left campus Thursday night with a large cardboard check for $50,000.
The College of Engineering student and creator of the Contact Lens Refresh Card beat out 126 other student-run startup companies for the grand prize in Duke’s 14th annual Start-Up Challenge. And they weren’t light competition.
Interest: A Duke University student team has the chance to win $50,000 in the 14th annual Duke Start-Up Challenge on April 11.
A total of 13 teams will participated in the competition, which will be held in Geneen Auditoriumm at the Fuqua School of Business. The competition is open to the public. The top three teams will have the chance to give an eight-minute investor pitch before a live audience. The remaining 10 teams will give one-minute elevator pitches.
Interest: The organization announced it has selected 295 research and technology proposals from 216 American small businesses for negotiations that may lead to contract awards worth a combined $38.7 million.