NSF I-Corps Hub: West Region
Venture Partners at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder is a proud leader of theÌýI-CorpsTMÌýHub: West Region, one of theÌý. This Hub is a partnership with seven of the top research universities across the Western U.S., including the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).Ìý
What is I-Corps?
I-CorpsÌýprograms are designed to help reduce the time and risk of taking promising ideas and technologiesÌýto the marketplace. This personalized program helps researchers, entrepreneurs, inventors and problem solvers transform their discoveries into products and services that can benefit society within a community of entrepreneurs, educators and mentors.ÌýAnyone from aÌýresearch or community institution, including those outside the University of Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ System, is welcome.
Why participate?
- Build relationships and gain skills in an inclusive, welcoming environment
- Chance to win a $50,000 small business grant in the national I-Corps program
- Become part of the I-Corps national ecosystem as an alum with access to resources across the Hub-member institutions
"[The] programs have beenincredibly helpful in transitioningfrom a research discovery mindset inthe laboratory to a market discovery mindset." —Mark Rentschler, Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder Mechanical Engineering professor
I-Corps Programming Track at Venture Partners
Follow the Venture Partner at Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder programming track all the way to the National program.
Starting Blocks Customer Discovery Workshop
Offered four times a year by Venture Partners
The program is a three-week workshop with customer interviews designed to help researchers, entrepreneurs, inventors andÌýproblem solversÌýof all typesÌýfind a market for their innovations.ÌýThe core concept encourages inventorsÌýto get out of the lab andÌýtalk to industry decision-makersÌýto find out what problem the industry needs their product to solve.
Research-to-Market (R2M) Customer Discovery Program
Offered twice a year by Venture Partners
This four-week program helps teams through customer discovery and finding a market for their innovation.ÌýR2M leverages the nationally recognized Lean LaunchPad and Business Model Canvas methodologies specifically designed for researchers, entrepreneurs, inventors andÌýproblem solvers commercializing their innovations.
Teams have three primary members: the technical lead, the entrepreneurial lead and the I-CorpsÌýmentor. All three team members participate fully in the I-Corps Curriculum, which provides real-world, hands-on, immersive learning about what it takes to successfully transfer knowledge into products and processes that benefit society. Accepted teams are eligible to be awarded up to $50,000
Venture Partners I-Corps Team
Venture Partners has an experienced team of professionals dedicated to developing Å·ÃÀ¿Ú±¬ÊÓƵ Boulder innovators and startups—no matter what stage of the entrepreneurial journey they're in.
Would you like Venture Partners to meet with or give a presentation to your organization or department? Please contact Emily Voigt.