Securing funding for your early-stage startup can be one of the most challenging aspects of entrepreneurship. In addition to providing funds for your startup to develop and grow, investors often play a key role in company management and strategy. Join us for an interactive panel discussion with investors from a variety of firms to learn what they look for in a startup company and how to position yourself for fundraising success.

Register here for this free webinar.

Join us for our June cohort, meeting June 2, 9, 16, and 23. Participants will receive expert SBIR/STTR training from BBCetc; one-on-one consulting from BBCetc consultants with combined experience across all 11 SBIR funding agencies — plus assistance selecting the right agency, access to BBCetc tools and templates, and iterative proposal reviews; and leadership training from Capita3 that has transformed startup founders and CEOs into confident, high-achieving leaders.  

Apply now.

The Life Science Women’s Conference (LSWC) will take place in Tampa, FL, September 20^th-21^st, 2022. Hosted by the Life Science Women Network, the LSWC will feature speakers, discussion panels and a pitch competition. It is an opportunity for women to accelerate their careers in the life science field through mentoring, networking, and education.

Companies looking for investors and funding to get their ideas off the ground, or move their business and products to the next phase, may apply to the Pitch Practice & Feedback sessions. Pitch practices will be held in front of experienced funders and investors at the Life Science Women’s Conference.

If you are interested in applying, please click here. For all questions about the LSWC, please email support@lifesciconf.com.

Are you interested in developing your research into a proof-of-concept or prototype? If you have received a research grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) or participated in the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) program, you may be eligible to apply for an NSF Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) grant. 

We invite you to attend a virtual question and answer session on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET, to learn about the PFI program and the PFI Solicitation (NSF 19-506). During the webinar, you will have the opportunity to ask questions about the PFI program and what to expect for the submission deadline. You may have attended or registered for a similar webinar in the past, but we want to give you every opportunity to have your questions answered.

Register here.

How do you know if you’re ready to fundraise? Join The Capital Network on 6/14 to find out!

The Capital Network has designed a BRAND NEW program to guide founders through the process of getting themselves & their startups ready to successfully raise outside capital! Their Fundraising Readiness Bootcamp will guide you through a Lean Canvas model to help you understand your business and ALL your fundraising options so you can pick the best strategy for YOU! If you’re looking to fundraise soon, this is a can’t-miss event! Learn more and register here.

This session is designed for people that have conducted scientific research and are considering starting a company to commercialize it. We will discuss topics around how and when to spin out the technology if working at a lab, who should do it, negotiating with tech transfer offices, and what happens after a spinout is completed. BARDA is partnered with a network of incubators and accelerators that provide support to health security innovators at this stage of product development and during this event you will hear from these experienced leaders who will share their insights on taking research level technologies and developing viable businesses around them. Join us to learn more about how BARDA’s Accelerator Network can help your early stage health security venture.

Register here.

Searching for a corporate strategic partnership to accelerate your point-of-care product?

Join UMass M2D2 for their third Showcase, a free virtual event for life sciences startups, academic researchers, and university spinouts seeking to take their innovations to the next level. This showcase will take place Thursday, June 16th, from 9am – 1:30pm.

After our 6 breakthrough point-of-care startups pitch their innovations, the agenda turns to a round table discussion with an all-star panel of respected industry movers and investors — featuring interactive Q&A sessions where you can engage directly with the panelists and your fellow innovators. Then learn more about Center for Advancing Point of Care Technologies (CAPCaT) and available small business funding opportunities. Learn more here.

The Catalyze Program is a translational science program that offers a unique set of resources to support you along your innovation journey in moving your projects into practical application. Accepted investigators not only receive clinical, manufacturing, and regulatory expertise from the Catalyze team, but have access to broader resources at RTI International, including market and value proposition assessments from the RTI Innovation Advisors. Interested in learning more?

Join Dr. Mike Pieck, Catalyze Scientific Director, and members of RTI Innovation Advisors team on June 16^th from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM ET ahead of the next application receipt deadline (due: July 21st, 2022).

To register for this event, visit https://bit.ly/3N7V7kG. Please visit www.nhlbicatalyze.org for further information on the Catalyze program. 

A variety of private programs are in place to assist early-stage innovators in successfully transitioning their technology out of a lab and into an early-stage company. The National Science Foundation (NSF) supports disruptive innovation with the non-dilutive SBIR/STTR program. As an earlier-phase extension of that support, the NSF Innovation Corps (I-Corps) assists innovators in defining the value of their invention to the market by engaging in a rigorous business model and customer discovery process. During this event we will hear from I-Corps and NSF representatives, and from the CEOs of startup companies who have participated in I-Corps programs and subsequently gone on to receive federal funding via the NSF. Speakers will discuss their experiences leveraging these types of programs to build their early stage ventures.

Register here.

Learn about the EPA’s SBIR program directly from April Richards, Program Manager

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) supports the development and commercialization of technologies that protect human health and the environment. Solicitation topics focus on core mission areas and include Clean & Safe Water, Air Quality, Land Revitalization, Homeland Security, Sustainable Materials Management, and Safer Chemicals.

Register Here

The goal of this program is to provide researchers at the benchside with expert insight and knowledge on the resources available to them to help grow and commercialize their technology. From attending these discussions, attendees will gain a better understanding of what opportunities are right for them given their current technology readiness level, where and when to engage with the right government partners to advance their solution, and insight into obtaining funding at all stages of development. During this event, you will hear from agency officials at NIH as well as entrepreneurs and researchers that have received funding through these mechanisms.

Register here.

Join the National Infrastructure Innovation Challenge, aligned with the nation’s monumental investments through the Infrastructure Law, the House’s American COMPETES Act and the Senate’s U.S. Innovation and Competition Act (USICA). Qualified participants receive engagement and membership opportunities with partnering consortia representing over $10B in prototype funding authority, while competing for the $50K in prize pool.

Join TechConnect for a one-hour informational webinar featuring Challenge administrators and consortia leadership for a conversation about how to join the Challenge successfully, prize awards, the pitch event, and more about consortia membership. Register here.

Join the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) in collaboration with the National Heart, Blood, and Lung Institute (NHLBI) and the XLerator Network to learn more about SBIR/STTR funding and resources to help small businesses advance and commercialize promising technologies. You will learn about tips for submitting a successful application, upcoming funding opportunities and other diverse resources and programs, including the Applicant Assistance Program (AAP), the Diversity Supplement Program, EnRICH, a new SBIR Readiness Program for HBCU’s and minority innovators . You can ask questions during a dedicated Q&A session.

Register now to join the webinar, Leverage SBIR STTR Funding and Other Resources to Create A Diverse Workforce in Science and Technology on Thursday, June 23, 2022, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. ET.

This session is designed for early stage companies that have developed a proof of concept or prototype around a health security use case and are looking to work with BARDA to help advance existing R&D and/or product development. The Division of Research Innovation & Ventures (DRIVe) is the innovation division within BARDA and works with early-stage companies that have breakthrough devices and technologies in the health security space. The Easy Broad Agency Announcement (EZ-BAA) is a contracting mechanism that allows BARDA DRIVe to partner with early-stage product developers on smaller R&D projects. The EZ-BAA provides up to $749K in non-dilutive funds for the use of product development.. During this event you will learn about how to best engage with BARDA as an early stage company. We will review the EZ BAA process and recieve advice from BARDA evaluators on how to submit a complete EZ BAA application.

Register here.

As a later stage company, you may be interested in working with BARDA to help scale and/or bring your technology to market. In this session, we will highlight the various BARDA divisions and discuss how the teams use the Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) contracting tool to fund advanced health security product development. We will also discuss the criteria that needs to be met when completing a BAA application and leaders from across BARDA will discuss the various components and best practices for companies looking to apply for BAA funding at BARDA.

Register here.