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No! We are seeking individuals with an entrepreneurial mindset who wish to establish their own company. We recognize that everyone who has previously started a startup, raised money or had a successful exit did that for the first time at some point. Experience with startups is a plus, but it is not required. For those who have not started a company before, relevant product or project management experience in a company or other organization should be described in the candidate’s resume and/or cover letter.ÌýÌý

Successful candidates fully commit to the interview process, during which they evaluate technologies and develop a plan to commercialize one of them. They are actively seeking an opportunity to build a startup company and put in the work to thoroughly evaluate the commercial potential of a technology, conduct customer discovery, assess product-market fit, define the value proposition, determine the necessary team and prepare an excellent pitch. ÌýEach applicant may only submit one semi-final pitch.Ìý

Embark Startup Founders are founders (or cofounders) of the company. Successful startup founders jump head-first into the work to build their company. During the program, startup founders will form a new company and take significant steps to build the foundation for commercializing the technology. Key steps include forming an entity (such as an LLC or corporation) with all necessary founding documents, signing an Option Agreement with the University of Colorado, conducting customer discovery, developing a go-to-market plan, and initiating fundraising efforts. Startup founders receive one-on-one training and advising from various members of the Venture Partners leadership team and mentors.Ìý

Startup founders will participate in Venture Partners programs, including NSF I-Corps^TM Hub West and the Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator. They are also eligible to work with the Center for Translational Research and to apply to participate in Destination Startup®. Some may also be eligible to participate in the Lab Venture Challenge, competing for additional funding to further prepare the research lab’s technology for commercialization. Startup founders are encouraged to seek additional funding for their startup by engaging with potential investors and applying for grant opportunities, including those offered by the (e.g., Early Stage Capital Retention grants) and .Ìý

Yes, in fact, the team will be a factor in determining the strength of a pitch for the Embark Startup Founder positions. You can apply for the startup founder position with team members in mind. We also suggest exploring the option of working with other applicants to form a team. Only one startup founder will be paid for each startup company. If a team forms between two (or more) applicants, only one will receive the paid position with Venture Partners.Ìý

Venture Partners has existing startup teams that are seeking a business leader and/or CEO. If you are interested in joining a team, please contact Amy Dodenhoff. If you choose to join an existing startup team, you will not be eligible for the Embark Startup Founder position. Some existing teams may have funds to pay a salary or may provide only equity compensation in the early stages. Any compensation for such a role will be a discussion between you and the existing team.Ìý

The Embark Startup Founder applicants will be given access to the technologies after the Embark kickoff meeting on October 2. The applicants choose their top five technologies and will have the opportunity to join group meetings with the research team that developed those technologies. Venture Partners may be able to facilitate additional meetings with the researchers if needed. It will be considered inappropriate to reach out to a research team outside of the scheduled time and without prior authorization from Embark management.

It is possible that some technologies in the program are considered high-potential, even though the research team is not yet available; however, this information will be provided to applicants before they choose the technologies they are interested in pursuing.

After the introductory meetings, applicants will be asked to select their top technology. While applicants continue to assess the business opportunity associated with their top technology, they may engage in further conversation with the research team to learn more about the technology and discuss insights into the commercial potential of the technology or business idea. During this time, it is anticipated that the applicants will have discussions with the research team to determine their level of interest in joining the startup team, as that should be included on the team slide presented during the pitch. Additionally, applicants should discuss potential milestones that could be achieved if the lab is awarded a grant through the Embark program.ÌýÌý

The Embark Startup Founder interview process is as time-consuming as you want it to be. Candidates are not paid during the interview process; however, there is a time commitment required to complete the process and craft a competitive pitch. All events or information sessions during this time will be virtual or hybrid, offering both in-person and virtual options. It is recommended, but not required, that all candidates who pitch on the final pitch day on Dec. 11 attend in person. We can offer a virtual option if necessary. The final pitch day will be an all-day event, and Venture Partners cannot guarantee a specific time slot.

Startup founders have a 15-hour per week paid time commitment to work on the startup. With that said, creating a startup is a lot of work, and the workload varies from week to week. Startup teams that commit full time tend to move faster, but some startup founders may continue to pursue other projects as their workload permits. We don’t expect the startup founders to cease any other employment, but progress on the startup is anticipated and required.Ìý

Venture Partners aims to translate innovations created at Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØinto real-world impact. We have found that, often, the most successful way to commercialize these technologies is through startup companies. For some technologies, there is a team in the lab interested in pursuing a startup. However, we have many high-potential technologies in our portfolio that lack a startup team from the lab willing to take the early steps to establish a company. It’s these technologies that form the basis for Embark.Ìý

As part of the NSF I-Corps^TM Hub West , Venture Partners offers several programs to support customer discovery, a process that helps determine product-market fit, map ecosystems, and define value propositions. The Starting Blocks Customer Discovery Workshop is a three-week program that requires 12 customer discovery interviews. Research-to-Market (R2M) Customer Discovery Program is a four-week program that requires 25 customer discovery interviews. Venture Partners can also refer teams that complete both of these programs to the , which includes funding.Ìý
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Venture Partners operates the Ascent Deep Tech Accelerator, a program designed specifically for deep tech companies spun out of the Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØecosystem.Ìý
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Lab Venture Challenge provides $125,000 grants to help prepare technologies for commercialization. These grants go to the lab, not to a company, but the aim is to help translate the technology out of the lab. The grants require that $100,000 be used for technical proof of concept and $25,000 be used for business development-related expenses.Ìý
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The Center for Translational Research aims to help startup companies that work with Venture Partners successfully apply for SBIR and STTR grants, as well as other non-dilutive funding. The center works with companies directly and also hosts workshops.

For startup companies built around Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØtechnologies, Venture Partners offers a free, one-year Option Agreement. The Option gives the startup company the exclusive right to negotiate a License Agreement, meaning that Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØcannot offer an Option or License to another entity during the Option term. (Option and License Agreements can be limited to a specific Field of Use or Territory.)

Venture Partners also offers the Licensing with EASE program, which has startup-friendly licensing terms that have been deemed investor-friendly by both venture capitalists and top-tier international law firms. Startup teams can review the various models and self-select into whichever financial model works best for their company and business model. (Note that software startups do not have the ability to opt into different models in the Licensing with EASE program, and terms for software startups depend on whether the University has copyright-only or patent protection.)

Companies looking to raise capital from investors can apply to participate in Destination Startup®. In this investor showcase, top teams affiliated with universities and national labs across the Intermountain West region are invited to present to investors and community members.

is a venture capital fund that invests in companies that either license technology from Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØor have at least one founder who is a Â鶹Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂÔØBoulder faculty member, student, staff, or alum.Ìý

The Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator has funded the founders of twenty Embark startup companies. At least 13 have gone on to participate in an accelerator or incubator, and at least 12 have raised funding for the company and/or the inventor’s lab to help prepare the technology for commercialization. Applicants who are invited into the interview process will have the opportunity to meet with members of prior cohorts and ask questions.Ìý

Embark aims to form new startup companies. If you are looking for technologies to develop within an existing company, you can explore select available technologies and learn more about our researchers.

If you are interested in becoming a mentor, please apply to become a mentor to keep up with new opportunities. Our mentorship opportunities range in time commitment from an hour here and there to helping with our programs for a few weeks to matching potential CEOs and board members with existing startups.Ìý

If you're interested in starting a new company, we'd like to hear from you, even if the Embark Deep Tech Startup Creator isn't right for you. Please contact Amy Dodenhoff.Ìý