Commercialization Gap Fund Fellows Program
The UW Center for Commercialization manages a Commercialization Gap Funding (CGF) program that provides UW-research-based startups with $50,000+ in funding to reach the next stage of development. Each project is different and has a unique set of needs. There are two funding cycles (fall and spring), and C4C generally funds 10 technology start-ups each cycle.
C4C has created these CGF Fellowships to provide second-year MBA students with an outstanding opportunity to work with UW researchers and C4C technology managers to build commercialization plans for these fundable technologies. The Fellowship is designed to apply the skills and perspectives of students to market validation and analysis, go-to-market strategy, and other areas of business development.
Ideal candidates would be second-year MBAs, second- or third-year evening MBAs, and TMMBAs. SEBA/TEC students who have taken the core entrepreneurship courses are also welcome to apply.
The Fellows are assigned technologies for commercialization and are supervised by Patrick Shelby, the director of New Ventures and mentored by other C4C staff, including the technology managers, patent portfolio managers, and entrepreneurs-in-residence.
The expectation is that the CGF Fellowship positions—C4C is looking for 2 to 3 students—will be between 6 and 20 hours per week, at the hourly rate of $17.50, from July 2014 through December 2014.
Each CGF Fellow will be assigned to at least 3 different technology teams during the CGF cycle. We expect the Fellow to assist the teams by obtaining pertinent customer feedback and market data and helping the teams build the business case for their technology.
Deliverables:
1) Written responses to business-related questions in the CGF pre-proposal and full proposal to be submitted by CGF teams.
2) A 10-15 minute PowerPoint presentation for C4C New Ventures and CIE. The presentation should cover both technology and commercialization feasibility, as outlined below, for each technology they are assigned.
Technology Evaluation and Feasibility
· Technology description, business application, features and benefits.
· Market Needs Assessment
· Venture Assessment
· Technical Feasibility
· Market Study
· Economic Feasibility
Commercialization Evaluation
· Business Start-Up
· Pre-production prototype
· Market validation
· Go-to-market
· Production/Distribution
· Business Growth
· Business Maturity
Application Details
Please email your resume and cover letter, describing what you could bring—in terms of background, experience, and interest—to: Jeanette Ennis, GAP Funding Manager,