Material Impact’s Post

Activate is accepting applications for its 2025 Cohort from September 4 through October 23, 2024. The fellowship supports around 50 scientists and engineers annually, providing them with the skills and resources to become entrepreneurial leaders, de-risk their technologies, and secure funding. Activate Fellows have collectively raised over $2.4B in funding since 2015, with a 95% survival rate for companies after a decade. The program focuses on sectors like energy, manufacturing, and ocean tech, offering fellows the opportunity to transform technical breakthroughs into successful businesses. 🗣 “The Activate Fellowship provides an opportunity for approximately 50 scientists and engineers annually to transform into entrepreneurial leaders, derisk their technologies, define first markets, build teams, and secure follow-on funding,” says Activate’s executive managing director, Aimee Rose. “With an average 30 percent annual growth in applications since 2015, we know there is high demand for what we do, and we’re excited to see the talent and impactful ideas that come through the pipeline this year.” #ActivateFellowship #HardTechInnovation #ClimateTech #Entrepreneurship #ScienceEntrepreneurs #TechStartups #DOEFunding #Decarbonization #DeepTech #SustainableInnovation #EnergyTech #Activate2025 #TechForGood #STEMInnovation

The bridge between scientific innovation and startup success is fraught with pitfalls. In Cipher News’ Voices article, David Jaramillo, CTO and co-founder of Verne and a member of the First Cohort of the Fellows Program at Breakthrough Energy dives into the critical challenges facing entrepreneurs in the STEM world. From his own journey with hydrogen storage technology to insights on supportive ecosystems, Jaramillo reveals why universities, governments, and private institutions must collaborate to cross the “Valley of Death”. Read more in Cipher: https://nt-z.ro/3UuWQp7

We're proud to share that Northeastern University is part of one of three new National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation Corps (I-Corps™) Hubs. Led by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the NSF I-Corps Hub: New England Region will provide entrepreneurial training that enables researchers and graduate students to turn their research into commercial ventures.    "This is one way that we bring our mission to life by positively impacting society through our research," said Jack Lesko, director of engineering at Northeastern's Roux Institute, who is the faculty lead for Northeastern's participation. "Research holds huge potential for technology transfer," he explained. "Getting these innovations out of the lab and into the real world strengthens the innovation economy and drives job creation." The other participating universities are Brown University, Harvard University, Tufts University, the University of Maine, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and the University of New Hampshire. Northeastern's participation in this successful application was driven by Aileen Huang-Saad, director of life sciences, health, & engineering; Jack Lesko, director of engineering research; Michael Pollastri, senior vice provost and academic lead; Chris Wolfel, associate vice president and head of entrepreneurship and venture creation; and Jennifer Boyle-Lynch, executive director of the Center for Research Innovation.  . . . #NortheasternUniversity #NationalScienceFoundation #NSF #TechnologyTransfer #Maine #Entrepreneurship

David Jaramillo, co-founder of Verne and a Breakthrough Energy Innovator Fellow, shares vital insights on overcoming the early 'Valley of Death'—a phase where many scientific innovations falter before reaching the market. This stage is crucial for deep tech startups aiming for impactful sustainability solutions. Jaramillo highlights the importance of university-based entrepreneurial ecosystems that nurture scientists' transition from lab to startup. Through tailored education, community support, and strategic funding, these ecosystems play a critical role in transforming innovative research into commercial success. His journey with Verne, from developing hydrogen storage technologies to achieving commercial readiness, underscores the effectiveness of comprehensive support systems in navigating this challenging phase of the lab-to-market journey. Read the full article on Cipher News: https://lnkd.in/e6zSk3iW #DeepTech #InnovationJourney #Sustainability #StartupSuccess #LabtoMarket

Reflecting on Innovation and Opportunity at ASU I'm thrilled to share my thoughts on the new ASU MS Innovation and Venture Development Program. This program is a game-changer for anyone looking to make a significant impact in their field. The launch video for this program really resonated with me, and I highly recommend checking it out here. The program emphasizes creating real-world solutions and launching new products or services as a graduation requirement. This approach not only prepares students for the dynamic challenges of today's market but also fosters an entrepreneurial mindset that's crucial for driving innovation. The focus on solving pressing problems and bridging education gaps is commendable. What stands out most to me is the program's emphasis on real-world experience. Students are encouraged to think differently, approach the world creatively, and push the boundaries of problem-solving. This is exactly what the future of education should look like – a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical application. For anyone considering a career in innovation or entrepreneurship, this program offers an unparalleled opportunity to develop skills, gain valuable experience, and network with industry leaders. It's inspiring to see such initiatives that support the growth of future leaders who are not just job seekers but job creators. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the importance of practical experience in education. How do you think programs like this can shape the future of our industries? https://lnkd.in/gxTHq7qJ #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #ASU #Education #CareerDevelopment #FutureLeaders

David Jaramillo highlights an important challenge that I've also been seeing firsthand at MIT: the first Valley of Death from lab to startup. In my experience, this is about entrepreneurship education for scientists but also about providing easy funding for that last stretch of R&D that still needs to happen in the university lab before the founding team (and investors) can become truly convinced that the technology will work. ARPA-E, SBIRs, the MIT Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation and others play a crucial role here, but we need way more of this kind of funding. We also need to drastically cut the time lag in applying for and receiving this last-mile lab funding, and to make these funding opportunities much more frequent. After all, time is of the essence for most postdocs, late-stage PhD students, MBA students, and former entrepreneurs looking for their next gig.

Here is an excellent pathway to bet on yourself, to maximize your impact, and to develop a value proposition that fulfills the customer’s unmet need.

We’re quite happy to have been mentioned in Harvard Business Review along with our close friends in the innovation ecosystem of DTU. In the article, our ecosystem is used as an example of how universities can establish themselves as a cradle for innovation that makes a positive impact on our common global society. It’s not an easy task to establish such an ecosystem that enables both students and researchers alike to journey out into the world of tech entrepreneurship, but with great partners, that task becomes a much more pleasant ride. Here’s to even more great tech for our society! 🥂🚀 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dusXNsFr #DTUInnovation #Tech #Innovation #Startup #DeepTech #dtudk DTU - Technical University of Denmark DTU Entrepreneurship DTU Science Park PreSeed Ventures DTU Earthbound 

What does Kista Science City, Sophia Antipolis & Cambridge Science Park have in common? They are definitely more than just nice buildings and workspaces. These innovation hubs or science parks are where startups meet established companies, and where the magic of innovation happens. Science Parks provide access to investors, universities, and cutting-edge technology, and are a full ecosystem designed for growth and collaboration. Wanna find out why Science Parks are fueling Nordic innovation - or do you work at a science park and want to know how us at the Scaling School can support you and your entrepreneurs? Read the article in our knowledge hub. (And did we forgot to mention some of your most important USP's - please let us know: Science Park Jönköpings län Science Park Graz (SPG) DTU Science Park Startups Amsterdam Science Park Life Science Park Ideon Science Park - Start Up Tech Hub Forskningsparken - Oslo Science Park Kjeller Innovasjon AS Norinnova AS Aalto University Campus & Real Estate Turku Science Park Ltd Odense Robotics)

It takes a village...   …to turn scientific breakthroughs into real world solutions to planetary and societal challenges. 🌍   🌟 And that’s exactly what the ecosystem, that we at PreSeed Ventures are part of here at DTU, are capable of.    It’s not our words but the ones of this new article in Harvard Business Review. They call out the orchestration of the #DTUecosystem to intervene and support at each stage of the journey from lab to commercialisation as an example for others to model in order to become a prime innovator in society.   With 81 inventions commercialized, 74 new startups launched, and 1,173 research collaborations with outside companies alone in 2021 the numbers speak for themselves 🚀🦄 – And puts the DTU - Technical University of Denmark ecosystem in a league with universities like New York University.   It goes without saying that it makes us proud to be part of building such a flourishing ecosystem with strong allies like DTU Science Park, DTU Entrepreneurship, DTU Skylab, DTU Tech Transfer and DTU Earthbound. We look forward to close yet another gap in the ecosystem with our upcoming #PSVDeepTech fund.   👋Let’s continue to make tech work for people Marianne Thellersen, Mikkel Sørensen, Anders Overgaard Bjarklev, Christel Piron, Niels Korsholm, Anders Kjær, Jakob Rybak-Andersen, Marianne Hyltoft, Steen Donner, Jes Broeng, Jakob Fritz Hansen, Christopher James Lüscher, Ph.D, Thomas Klem Andersen, Simon Ulvund, Mikkel Marfelt, PhD, Solvej Karlshøj Christiansen, Jesper Hart-Hansen, Alberte Schmidt Koefoed.    #Togetherwecanpunchaboveourweight #PSV #PreSeedVentures #Future #Startups #Invest #Founders #Entrepreneurship #Tech #VC #Venturecapital