AccelerateDC is returning in 2018, as George Washington University is offering $25,000 to help eight non-university affiliated startup research teams in the Mid-Atlantic region. The program is funded through the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program, which has helped over 1,000 entrepreneurial teams nationwide since its inception in 2011.
As we’ve reported, GW is one of many I-Corps nodes tasked with helping these teams overcome challenges, polish their business models and presentation skills. AccelerateDC will expand the scope of I-Corps to non-university startups.
“Some of those challenges may be protecting their IP, fundraising, building a team, continued customer discovery, building a technology roadmap and all of the challenges that early stage technology startups encounter,” Daniel Kunitz, director of I-Corps at GW, told Technical.ly DC. “We want to find the most interesting, impactful, promising early stage tech startups that are anywhere in our region,” The $25,000 will fund the AccelerateDC “customer discovery phase”, followed by a national training course later this year.
GW is picking up the lead role on AccelerateDC from the Washington D.C. Economic Partnership, which previously ran the program. WDCEP continues to be a partner.
The AccelerateDC program includes:
- Qualifying course: Introduction to I-Corps, run at GW
- Customer discovery course: I-Corps Phase 0, run at national I-Corps centers
- Entrepreneurial training course: I-Corps Go, run at GW
- Small Business Innovation Research Phase 1 grant application support
- Mentor support
The application for teams to apply launched this month, and training programs will start on January 23 and a TBD date in March.
[link href=”https://innovation.gwu.edu/accelerateDC-apply” text=”Apply”]Join the conversation!
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