KickStart Venture Services

UNMUTED is a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to making ultrasound technology more accessible and impactful. With support from KickStart, they participated in the national I-Corps program during their customer discovery phase of their commercialization journey. KickStart is proud to support them in bridging the gap between research and real-world applications.  To learn more about UNMUTED’s journey and achievements click here: https://lnkd.in/eDS9VkrN To learn more about KickStart and I-Corps click here: https://lnkd.in/eciyA6vg 

Premirr Plastic has designed an innovative plastic recycling system tackling sustainability and efficiency in polyester production. During their time at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill received a KickStart grant to support their groundbreaking work. We are proud to highlight their accomplishments. Click here to read more about their work: https://lnkd.in/dDxyCiny 

KickStart is currently accepting applications for the Commercialization Grant-Award Program which offers up to $50,000 in non-dilutive funding. This is a great opportunity to support IP-based early-stage companies looking to reach key commercial milestones in the life sciences and digital health. Application Deadline: August 31, 2024. Click on the PDF for more application details. Click here for the application portal:  https://lnkd.in/e8FUQdfz 

KickStart supported ventures took to the stage at Innovate Carolina’s Hill Tank pitch competition. A special shout-out to: - Couplet Care, Inc. for their revolutionary work with baby bassinets (https://coupletcare.com/) - Elypsis for their groundbreaking advancements in sports technology (https://lnkd.in/dTCzvvyy) - Perotech Inc for their impressive strides in solar modules and renewable energy (https://www.perotech.org/) We are proud to support these innovative startups in their entrepreneurial journeys!  

The North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech) is now accepting applications for its Translational Research Grant (TRG) program. This grant supports research projects aimed at exploring commercial applications and initiating early commercial development from North Carolina-based universities or nonprofit institutes to secure funding of up to $130k for business or technical activities.  The deadline is Wednesday, August 14, at 12:00 PM. Winners will be announced in December 2024. Read more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/euwRZjzR. 

The NC SBTDC is accepting applications for their "Taking the Leap to Kickstart Your Business Venture" event. This is a great opportunity for startups and founders to network, exchange ideas, and receive feedback. Participants can anticipate walking away with business plan templates, IP guides, and financial projection templates, among several other valuable resources. August 5, 12, 19, and 26 from 6:00-8:00 PM in Greenville, NC Please click here for more details: https://lnkd.in/eW8sbX48

KickStart is excited to share an article written by our partners from Duke University about the Triangle Universities Startup Workshop in May. Thank you to all of our partners for their collaboration and to everyone who attended for their valuable contributions! Read more here: https://lnkd.in/esTFreDt 

The KickStart team extends a warm congratulations to Team Enviroscan for their recent completion of the National Science Foundation (NSF) National I-Corps Spring 2024 Cohort. Enviroscan is a web-based tool that handles multidimensional data and produces populational health prediction maps. We are incredibly proud of Adebimpe Adefolaju, Jaap Schut, Ph.D., Jon Freedman for their hard work and contributions!  

The National Consortium for Data Science (NCDS) is hosting a free webinar event on ‘Using Generative AI to Win STTR & SBIR Government Grants.’ This is a great opportunity for those interested in trustworthy AI and risk management.    Thursday, June 20 at 4 PM ET. Register here:  https://lnkd.in/eE_Qxh5Q.  

Recently KickStart and Innovate Carolina proudly supported four incredible startups—MaiaZura, Assure Medical Technologies, Vetta Solutions, and Syzygy Optics—at Venturium recently. This event, co-hosted by University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Northeastern University, Rutgers Research, Kentucky Commercialization Ventures, and PCI Ventures, LLC, provided a virtual platform for twenty innovators to share eight-minute pitches on their commercialization plans.  Congratulations to these startups for their outstanding presentations.