UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA LAUNCHES VENTURE CATALYST TO TURN RESEARCH INTO ARIZONA STARTUPS

By Kyle Macdonald, COO of Silicon Oasis

Arizona does not have a shortage of research. The larger challenge is converting more of that research into companies that are built, funded and scaled here.

The University of Arizona is taking another step toward closing that gap.

Tech Launch Arizona has launched its Venture Catalyst Program, an initiative designed to pair experienced entrepreneurs with more than 30 curated technologies developed at the university. Selected participants will evaluate intellectual property, build commercialization strategies and work toward forming companies around promising research.

Participants can compete for up to $50,000 in milestone-based de-risking capital and may ultimately have an opportunity to pitch Tech Launch Arizona’s Wildcat Philanthropic Seed Fund.

The technologies span fields where Arizona already has meaningful advantages, including artificial intelligence, software, biotech, medical devices, optics and photonics, aerospace, advanced materials, energy, AgTech and quantum technologies.

This is an important distinction from a traditional startup accelerator. Instead of helping an existing founder improve a company, Venture Catalyst is designed to create founders and companies around technology that already exists inside the university.

That is exactly the type of infrastructure Arizona needs as it becomes the Silicon Oasis.

A durable technology ecosystem requires a pipeline from laboratory to startup, from startup to venture funding, and eventually from venture-backed company to major Arizona employer.

Tucson has the research base to play a much larger role in that pipeline. Programs like Venture Catalyst can help ensure more University of Arizona innovation becomes Arizona enterprise rather than intellectual property commercialized somewhere else.

Article of Reference:
https://techlaunch.arizona.edu/news/ua-launches-venture-catalyst-program