The Pitt Ventures I-Corps program helps shape Pitt inventions originating from University research from early-stage discovery to products and services that can be taken to market. The program offers hands-on training that walks a Pitt innovator through the process of discovering the value that their innovation may offer to potential customers and creating a compelling pitch to potential investors or partners.
Pitt Ventures is a partner with the National Science Foundation’s Interior Northeast I-Corps Hub (IN I-Corps)! See our announcement.
As a member of the NSF I-Corps, Pitt innovators not only have access to commercialization support from the Innovation Institute, but also courses offered through the nine other participating Hub universities. These courses are offered beginning every few weeks on average, providing more than 20 opportunities to participate throughout the year.
Who Qualifies?
Researchers who are curious about commercializing their innovations are invited to participate. The Pitt Ventures NSF IN-Corps short courses are open all university principal investigators and students to apply individually or as a team. Preference is given to applicants with university-affiliated technology (i.e., graduate students, post-docs, and faculty.)
Successful applicants will have an early-stage early validated technology innovation, and one to three team members with the ability to spend 8-10 hours per week on class work and conducting 30 customer interviews.
How it Works
I-Corps offers free, virtual, month-long short courses guided by expert instructors. Participants will learn to:
- Evaluate a technology’s commercial potential
- Find and talk to potential customers and industry stakeholders
- Identify the real problem(s) the customer needs solved
- Develop an entrepreneurial mindset.
At the end of the course, expected next steps include applying for additional funding through NSF I-Corps Teams national program (teams must be recommended for Nationals by the I-Corps teaching team), local economic development organization as well as establishing a new startup enterprise and pursuing an external license agreement. Teams completing a regional Hub course have better odds of obtaining commercialization funding, such as the Chancellor’s Gap Fund, the Pitt Innovation Challenge, the Michael G. Wells Healthcare Competition, as well as federal SBIR grants, and/or were accepted into regional accelerators such as LifeX or AlphaLab.
See Upcoming Courses & Apply