Lots of excitement around these dollars and startups. Makes some sense that alternative investments such as VC would have more dollars to invest since the traditional ones we are used to, equities and real estate, are mighty scary in the short term. We’ll see if this was a good investment for LP’s in 4-5 years.
Cheers to all my colleagues at the von Liebig Center!
Kauffman Foundation Says von Liebig Center Fills Seed-Stage Funding Gap
Kansas City, MO, January 24, 2008 — An emerging approach to identifying, funding and commercializing university-based innovation is proving quite effective at seeding new companies, according to research conducted by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Max Planck Institute of Economics.
According to the Kauffman Foundation, “proof of concept centers” are an effective vehicle to help launch the commercialization of university innovation and to fill the seed-stage funding gap for new technologies.
(See full article here, Jacobs School of Engineering, UCSD)
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According to the report, a successful proof of concept center benefits from locating at universities that produce innovative and marketable technology, are located within a strong external network of investors and innovators and have an administrative team and advisors with a depth of commercialization expertise. A unified approach of providing seed funding, advisory services with industry connections and educational initiatives also is vital to ensure the commercialization of university technology.A copy of the paper can be downloaded at www.kauffman.org/poc. In addition, an analysis of the Kauffman Foundation report will be published in the June 2008 issue of The Journal of Technology Transfer.
About the Kauffman Foundation
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation of Kansas City is a private, nonpartisan foundation that works with partners to advance entrepreneurship in America and improve the education of children and youth. The Kauffman Foundation was established in the mid-1960s by the late entrepreneur and philanthropist Ewing Marion Kauffman. Information about the Kauffman Foundation is available at www.kauffman.org.
About the Max Planck Institute of Economics
The Max Planck Institute of Economics conducts research on a broad set of problems relating to change in modern economies, including experimental economics and entrepreneurial studies. Located in Jena, Germany, the Institute is part of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, Germany’s largest research organization. The Max Planck Society employs some 4,200 researchers in some 80 institutes in both the sciences and the humanities.
Source: Jacobs School of Engineering, UCSD
Copy of the full paper: www.kauffman.org/poc.