KickStart Venture Services

Kickstart would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our startups and advisors for attending the first Advisory Group meeting of the year! These meetings provide opportunities for emerging life science startups to present their ventures and receive feedback from skilled, local advisors. The Advisory Group aims to, ? - Unlock a venture’s next level of growth? - Strengthen the local innovation ecosystem? - Create valuable knowledge-sharing opportunities To learn more about KickStart Advisory Meetings and/or share your interest in providing expertise, click here: https://lnkd.in/eBniR_7V

Innovate Carolina had the opportunity to engage with new graduate students at the The Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School Orientation at Kenan Stadium a few weeks ago. It was a great opportunity for KickStart, represented Rachel Mintel, in partnership with 1789 to discuss student entrepreneurship, innovation, and a graduate certificate in Innovation for the Public Good – one of UNC's largest graduate certificates! Graduate students can become involved with KickStart by - Applying to be a part of the Venture Catalyst Fellows (https://lnkd.in/eVvXn7e)? - Participating in graduate certificate courses (https://lnkd.in/eMwnfPjE)? - Taking advantage of the plethora of entrepreneurial resources available: grant writing support, pitch feedback, etc. (https://lnkd.in/eGiK_KNB)?

Join Innovate Carolina at the Junction on September 4, 2024, for a Lunch and Learn opportunity on "Legal Insights on AI for Business." Please see the attached flyer for more details.

UNMUTED is a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to making ultrasound technology more accessible and impactful. With support from KickStart, they participated in the national I-Corps program during their customer discovery phase of their commercialization journey. KickStart is proud to support them in bridging the gap between research and real-world applications.? To learn more about UNMUTED’s journey and achievements click here: https://lnkd.in/eDS9VkrN To learn more about KickStart and I-Corps click here: https://lnkd.in/eciyA6vg?

Premirr Plastic has designed an innovative plastic recycling system tackling sustainability and efficiency in polyester production. During their time at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received a KickStart grant to support their groundbreaking work. We are proud to highlight their accomplishments. Click here to read more about their work: https://lnkd.in/dDxyCiny?

KickStart is currently accepting applications for the Commercialization Grant-Award Program which offers up to $50,000 in non-dilutive funding. This is a great opportunity to support IP-based early-stage companies looking to reach key commercial milestones in the life sciences and digital health. Application Deadline: August 31, 2024. Click on the PDF for more application details. Click here for the application portal: ?https://lnkd.in/e8FUQdfz?

KickStart supported ventures took to the stage at Innovate Carolina’s Hill Tank pitch competition. A special shout-out to: - Couplet Care, Inc. for their revolutionary work with baby bassinets (https://coupletcare.com/) - Elypsis for their groundbreaking advancements in sports technology (https://lnkd.in/dTCzvvyy) - Perotech Inc for their impressive strides in solar modules and renewable energy (https://www.perotech.org/) We are proud to support these innovative startups in their entrepreneurial journeys! ?

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech) is now accepting applications for?its?Translational Research Grant (TRG) program.?This grant supports research projects?aimed at exploring commercial applications and initiating early commercial development from North Carolina-based universities or nonprofit institutes to secure funding of up to $130k for business or technical activities.? The deadline is Wednesday, August 14, at?12:00 PM. Winners will?be announced?in December 2024. Read more and apply here:?https://lnkd.in/euwRZjzR.?

The NC SBTDC is accepting applications for their "Taking the Leap to Kickstart Your Business Venture" event. This is a great opportunity for startups and founders to network, exchange ideas, and receive feedback. Participants can anticipate walking away with business plan templates, IP guides, and financial projection templates, among several other valuable resources. August 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 6:00-8:00 PM in Greenville, NC Please click here for more details: https://lnkd.in/eW8sbX48

KickStart is excited to share an article written by our partners from Duke University about the Triangle Universities Startup Workshop in May. Thank you to all of our partners for their collaboration and to everyone who attended for their valuable contributions! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/esTFreDt?