We’ve been talking a lot about how to land investors but how many investors should you look to get? There is definitely an appeal to a large number – you’d have a lot of smart people around the table, you wouldn’t have to ask too much from each investor, and it would signal strength to [...]
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Some Angel Groups Charge to Hear Pitches. Is It Worth It?
It’s a debated practice, but did you know some groups of angel investors charge entrepreneurs a fee to pitch to them? We’ve got some guidelines to help you decide if the fee is worth it, plus a few tips about making sure your pitch gets the most bang for your buck if you go for [...]
The Rules of the Road Have Changed, But You Should Still Look Both Ways
A few weeks ago, we told you about the first changes in more than 60 years to the American patent process. Under the new Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, the patent process has shifted from a “first to invent” to a “first to file” structure. You may have heard the advice to file “quick and dirty” [...]
Mainframe Myth Busting
On March 7th, I will be busting mainframe myths and presenting cold hard mainframe facts at the Economic Education Summit V. The Ohio Department of Education Office of Career-Technical Education is putting on the fifth annual event at the Hyatt Regency Columbus. Focused on “bringing education, business, and industry together to improve Ohio’s economy,” the [...]
Pitching in the Major League
We recently talked about strategies to make your pitch its best. Now it is time to step up to the major league and tackle Fortune 500 investors. Keep in mind our previous tips and check out these tips for pitching to Fortune 500 companies from Rawy Iskander of The Tech Entrepreneurship Blog: Embrace your size. [...]
Your Best Game Yet – Tips from the Man Who’s Heard It All
Venture capitalist Jeff Clavier has heard 10,000 pitches. His firm receives 2,000 business plans a year. They meet with 300 of those. They work on ten companies a month. They dig deeply into five of them. And they do two deals. “We say no 99.5 percent of the time,” Clavier told Business Insider. So what [...]
The Fine Print of the Leahy-Smith American Invents Act of 2011 (AIA)
After over 60 years, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011 (AIA) has resulted in the first adjustments to the American patent process since 1954. Don’t have time to read the 152-page bill? Just keep these main points in mind when filing: 1. A Need for Speed – On March 16, 2013 the “first to [...]
Forget the Fear and Make a Decision – The Key to a Technology Transfer Success Story
Fear. Spiders, tornados, or the dark may have just popped in your head, but technology transfer probably wasn’t the first thing that came to mind. Regardless, fear is one of the largest obstacles technology transfer offices face in the decision-making process. So often fear of the wrong decision sways offices to avoid decision making altogether, [...]
Reaching Full Potential with Technology Transfer
Technology transfer is a business full of potential – the potential to make groundbreaking discoveries, produce an innovative start-up, or gain a large return on investment. Often reaching this potential is easier said than done, so how are universities ensuring they make the most of their technology transfer programs in 2012? 1. Investing in quality [...]
University Policy Changes Combat Tech Transfer Challenges
Technology transfer is full of risks. Three major influencers– product/market fit, people, and resources – impact the success of new technology. Researchers working on university campuses may fall into a “research vacuum” and fail to understand the market’s needs and available resources in their entirety, which can be a fatal flaw for technology development. In [...]
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