BLOG: Proof of Concept Funds: Boosting The Potential of University Technology

The Valley of Innovation Death has been well documented and is a continuing issue for transitioning basic university research into products that will improve lives. One way that universities and academic research centers are addressing this issue is through proof of concept (POC) funding. POC funds are typically grants that help “de-risk” a technology — helping a technology meet milestones that will increase its potential to be licensed to an existing company or enable the formation of a startup. These milestones can be prototypes, additional data, or other discoveries that will help demonstrate the validity of a technology. POC funds can also identify a technological weakness that is inhibiting further product development.

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