MTECH Technology

Entrepreneurship Activities
David Barbe
Maryland Technology Enterprise Institute

University of Maryland

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

• A unit of the Clark School of Engineering
• Operates programs that:
– Build a robust tech entrepreneurship culture
– Support new technology ventures
– Strengthen existing companies

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

Tech Entrepreneurship Activities

• For faculty, graduate and undergraduate

students in engineering and science

• Comprehensive

• Experiential

• A variety of entry points

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

 Program and Activities
• VentureCatalyst:
• Hinman CEOs Program 2000
• Technology Ventures Club 2002
• Entrepreneurship graduate course 2002
• Technology Startup Boot Camp 2001
• Business Plan Competition 2001
• VentureAccelerator 2002

• Industrial Biotechnology Program 1985

• Technology Extension Program (MTES) 1985
• Incubator (TAP) 1985
• Technology Transfer Program (MIPS) 1987

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

 Ideas-Culture-Ventures
Students/ Young Mature
Faculty Firms Firms

• Hinman CEOs • Incubator

• Entrepreneurship Club • Tech Commercialization
Ideas • Entrepreneurship Course Program Sustainable
Concepts • Technology Extension Ventures
Technologies • Boot Camp
Service
• B-Plan Competition
• Biotechnology Program
• Venture Accelerator

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

 Hinman CEOs Program
• 100 undergrads, one-half
majoring in technical
disciplines
• Community
• Technology
• Seminars and Workshops
• Entrepreneurship Education
• Product Development Projects
and Internships
• Start companies
University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering
 Tech Ventures Club
• Dynamic forum for engineering and science
graduate students to network and explore
commercializing ideas and forming ventures

• Monthly meetings include start-up

workshops, speakers, and networking

• Members have opportunity to network with

local VCs, service providers, business
students and entrepreneurs

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

 Course: Fundamentals of Technology
Startup Ventures
• Designed for technical graduate students
• Study basic processes of tech company
formation and operation
• Form into teams
– Develop business plans during semester
– Present plans to class, instructors and
“judges”
• Started with Spring offering
– demand required Fall offering also

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

 Tech Startup Boot Camp
• Kicks off the academic year
• 250 students and faculty
• National and Regional sponsors
• National Model
• Basic startup processes
– Evaluating tech ideas
– IP basics and licensing
– Legal fundamentals
– Building a team
– Obtaining financing
– Entrepreneur experiences
• Presented by experienced VCs, service providers,
and tech executives
• Networking

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

 Business Plan Competition
• Begins between semesters
– exec summaries
• Culmination of the academic year
– Finals May 7th
• $50,000 in prizes raised from sponsors
• Select top 16 based on executive summaries
• Judging panel selects top six for full plans and
presentations
• Usually three awards
• Networking and mentoring sessions with six finalists and
judges/sponsors during the Spring semester
University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering
 VentureAccelerator
• Substantial Hands-on consultation and advice to selected
Startups, mostly in the incubator:
– Introductions to funding sources
– Preparation of presentations and business-plans
– Strategic planning
– Executive recruitment

• Planned Step-by-step processes for new company formation

– Managed student e-teams conducting:
• Market research
• Business planning
• Marketing
• Financial analysis

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

 Technology Incubator (TAP)
Early stage incubator offering technical & business assistance,
as well as state-of-the-art biotech equipment and modern
office facilities

• On Campus
- Outstanding environment
• Typically, applicants are spinouts from
UMD, large companies and government
research organizations
• Rigorous Acceptance Process
- technical and business
• Residence for up to four years

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

 Tech Transfer Program (MIPS)
• Major research universities have Technical Expertise and
Facilities
• Many faculty and graduate students want to see their
research results get into products
• Faculty and graduate Students working directly with
companies is the best form of technology transfer
• Proposals authored by faculty and company- Oct, May
• Rigorous evaluation process to select most promising
projects – technical and commercialization potential
• Standard contract: IP and publication rights
• Matching funding depending on company size
• About one-third of the projects are with startups
• Provides the equivalent of seed funding

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

 Some Results
• $779M investment in TAP companies
– Approximately 1,000 jobs created
– 47 graduates of TAP program
• Two IPOs: Digene and Martek

• 50% commercialization rate in 430 different

MIPS projects
– $1.8B revenues

• Approximately one new tech startup

launched each month on UMD campus

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering

 Web Sites
• VentureCatalyst: http://www.mtech.umd.edu/VentureCatalyst

• Technology Ventures Club: http://www.tvc.umd.edu

• Fundamentals of Technology Startup Ventures course:

http://www.mtech.umd.edu/VentureCatalyst/ENES489A/spring04.html

• Technology Startup Boot Camp:

http://www.mtech.umd.edu/VentureCatalyst/Boot_Camp/2003/

• Business Plan Competition

http://www.mtech.umd.edu/VentureCatalyst/BPC/

University of Maryland • A. James Clark School of Engineering