This six-month accelerator will help teams turn their research discoveries into scalable startup ventures. Selected teams will begin the program with technology that is ready for product development and commercialization, as well as an initial target market/customer and a foundational team ready to commit to the venture in the future. By the end of the program, ventures will emerge with a solid, validated business model, initial partnerships and pilots, further funding for R&D and staffing, and a solid near-term business strategy.
When will the TVA take place?
The program will take place in 2024 - exact dates TBD. Activities will be held twice a month on Fridays, with additional meetings with mentors/advisors taking place on an ad hoc schedule. Below are the specific dates for the most recent TVA sessions.
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- February: 3rd & 17th
- March: 3rd, 24th, & 31st
- April: 21st
- May: 5th & 19th
- June: 9th & 23rd
- July: 7th & 21st
Where will the TVA take place?
The program will take place at the Leslie eLab in New York City, with additional networking and social events on or near NYU’s Washington Square Campus.
What are the key activities of the program?
The TVA will push each team to validate a scalable business model and achieve key milestones unique to their venture. Through monthly standup presentations, teams will be challenged to make rapid progress to achieve their goals during the course of the program. The structure of the program comprises:
- Standups: Every other month, participants will share progress on their milestones and an overview of their approach/strategy on key topics to a group of industry mentors with relevant domain expertise and the other teams in the cohort. In alternating months (when not presenting to the external mentors), teams will share progress with the directors of the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute and NYU’s Innovation Venture Fund
- Workshops: Led by experts from the startup community, workshops teach critical skills and topics such as running pilots, structuring partnerships, building go-to-market strategy, raising capital, navigating negotiations, building IP strategy and portfolios, hiring a team, and applying for federal grants for research commercialization.
- 1:1 Mentorship: Ventures will gain access to one-on-one mentorship from dedicated and experienced entrepreneurs and industry professionals with relevant domain expertise. They will also receive weekly hands-on guidance from the coaches at the NYU Entrepreneurial Institute.
- Networking and social activities: Several in-person social gatherings will take place throughout the program to help foster community amongst cohort members and connections with external mentors/advisors.
- Final venture showcase: Following the program (in early Fall ‘23), we will host an in-person venture showcase for TVA teams to demonstrate their businesses and progress to an audience composed of NYU senior leadership, external mentors/subject matter experts, investors, faculty and research colleagues, and select guests.
What are the key benefits of the program?
In addition to receiving mentorship and guidance provided, participating teams unlock:
- $50,000 in grant funding to be used for purposes such as paying team members, purchasing materials/equipment, traveling to conferences and in-person NYC activities (such as the final venture showcase), etc. Teams will submit a funding proposal that breaks down their milestones and upon achieving each major milestone, a portion of funding will be released.
- $10,000 in Amazon Web Services credits, a free year of Github Enterprise for (up to) 20 members (and 50% off in the second year), and other discounts with software and service providers such as Hubspot and Notion.
- Legal incorporation: Teams will receive legal support to incorporate their ventures.
- Office hours with attorneys, venture capitalists, SBIR/STTR grant writing consultants, and consultants with expertise on regulatory pathways and procedures.
- Co-working space at the Leslie eLab (with extended hours): Available for the duration of the program for core team members/founders.