Minnesota I-Corps Site (MIN-Corps): Catalyzing Innovation Through Collaboration

明尼苏达 I-Corps 站点 (MIN-Corps)：通过协作促进创新

• 批准号: 1347226
• 负责人: Mostafa Kaveh
• 金额: $ 30万
• 依托单位: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2014-06-15 至 2019-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1347226&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Minnesota; Corps; Site; MIN; Catalyzing

This project supports an I-Corps Site at the University of Minnesota (UMN). The Site will provide infrastructure, resources, networking opportunities, training and modest funding to I-Corps entrepreneurial teams. With this grant, UMN leverages and extends its assets in science and engineering, research, entrepreneurship education, and technology commercialization to create the Minnesota Innovation Corps (MIN-Corps). MIN-Corps will: 1. Expand UMN's outreach to its STEM researchers - faculty, postdoctoral, graduate students, and undergraduates - to engage more of them in the process of translating discoveries and technological developments into commercializable products. 2. Train entrepreneurial talent through STARTUP, a course that incorporates the Lean LaunchPad concepts and tools. 3. Provide modest, early-stage funding ($1,000 to $3,000) to approximately 30 entrepreneurial teams per year who are engaged in the course and show potential, bridging the funding gap between early stage development and translation into the market. 4. Support ongoing customer development and commercialization efforts by connecting teams with UMN and community resources. 5. Leverage research expertise to contribute to and support collaborative program evaluation and research across the national I-Corps network. By engaging teams from UMN's STEM research base, MIN-Corps will create new ventures based on sustainable business models and customer-focused product design. MIN-Corps will prepare teams to seek follow-on funding through public grants and private investment. MIN-Corps will engage with stakeholders to make broader impacts in the community including: Talent Development. MIN-Corps will expand awareness of resources supporting innovation and entrepreneurship among students and faculty in STEM fields, particularly among women and under-represented groups. The training experience offered to high-potential entrepreneurial team members through the STARTUP course will increase their readiness for innovation roles in industry and infuse a more entrepreneurial mindset in UMN's culture. Network Development. MIN-Corps will expand UMN's current engagement with seasoned entrepreneurs, angel investors, and venture capitalists from the local innovation ecosystem as mentors throughout the educational and commercialization process. The program will also help harness the energy of individuals and organizations currently supporting entrepreneurship and innovation across Minnesota, including 19 Fortune 500 companies that make their home in the state.Economic Development. MIN-Corps will increase the translation rate of STEM-based innovation to new commercial ventures positioned for subsequent funding from NSF I-Corps, SBIR, NCIIA E-Teams, accelerators, incubators, competitions, angel investors and venture capitalists. The program will spur economic prosperity by expanding access to Lean Launchpad training and increasing the number of start-ups, entrepreneurs, and high-tech jobs in the state.

该项目支持明尼苏达大学（UMN）的I-Corps网站。该网站将为I-Corps创业团队提供基础架构，资源，网络机会，培训和适度的资金。有了这项赠款，UMN利用并扩展了其在科学和工程，研究，企业家教育和技术商业化方面的资产，以创建明尼苏达州的创新军（Min-Corps）。 Min -Corps将：1。将UMN的宣传扩展到其STEM研究人员 - 教职员工，博士后，研究生和本科生 - 在将发现和技术发展转化为可商业化产品的过程中吸引了更多的人。 2。通过创业公司Train Train创业人才，该课程结合了精益发射台概念和工具。 3。每年向大约30个企业家团队提供适度的早期资金（$ 1,000至3,000美元），他们从事该课程并表现出了潜力，从而弥合了早期发展与转化为市场之间的资金差距。 4.通过将团队与UMN和社区资源联系起来，支持正在进行的客户开发和商业化工作。 5。利用研究专业知识来为整个国家I-Corps网络的协作计划评估和研究做出贡献。通过吸引UMN STEM研究基础的团队，Min-Corps将基于可持续业务模型和以客户为中心的产品设计创建新的企业。 Min-Corps将准备团队通过公共赠款和私人投资寻求跟进资金。 Min-Corps将与利益相关者互动，以对社区产生更大的影响，包括：人才发展。 Min-Corps将提高人们对STEM领域的学生和教职员工之间（尤其是在妇女和代表性不足的群体中）中支持创新和企业家精神的资源的认识。通过启动课程向高潜力的企业家团队成员提供的培训经验将提高他们对工业创新角色的准备，并在UMN文化中注入更具创业的心态。网络开发。 Min-Corps将扩大UMN目前与经验丰富的企业家，天使投资者和风险投资家的参与，从当地创新生态系统中作为整个教育和商业化过程中的导师。该计划还将帮助利用目前支持明尼苏达州的企业家精神和创新的个人和组织的能量，其中包括19家财富500强公司，这些公司在州。经济发展。 Min-Corps将将基于STEM的创新的翻译率提高到NSF I-Corps，SBIR，NCIIA E-Teams，Accelerators，Accelerators，Incubers，Competitions，Angel Investers，Angel Investors，Angel Investors和Venture资本家的新商业企业。该计划将通过扩大接受精益发射台培训的机会，增加该州的初创企业，企业家和高科技工作的数量来刺激经济繁荣。