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Entrepreneurship & Training

UTSA Technology Development to Commercialization

The process of developing a technology from a concept to a commercial product meeting a customer’s needs takes a proverbial village. The UTSA and greater San Antonio ecosystem includes a network of extensive services and resources. Below are some of the key elements. Please contact oci@utsa.edu with suggestions and feedback.

Development Information

Intellectual Property Management: Technologies can be protected in several ways, most commonly by patenting and copyright. Researchers begin this process by disclosing to the Office of Commercialization and Innovation (OCI): http://research.utsa.edu/invent

TechPoP Proof of Concept Funding: When a technology needs a small amount of funding to develop a prototype or perform an experiment that shows its commercial potential, OCI can provide awards.
For disclosed technologies, application is through the researcher’s OCI technology manager.

UTSA Innovation Lab: The CITE Innovation Lab is a place where students can create, invent, explore and discover using a variety of tools and materials. The lab allows students to design, prototype and manufacture items using state-of-the-art tools such as 3-D Printers, digital fabrication machines and computer-aided design software. The use of the Innovation Lab is open to all UTSA faculty, students and staff under supervised use. You only need to buy the materials needed for your project.

Entrepreneur’s Academy: Online, bootcamp-style course designed to help current or aspiring entrepreneurs learn the fundamental concepts behind starting a business and commercializing your innovation. Free, requires registration.

Technology Entrepreneurship Boot Camp: Hosted by CITE, the boot camp is held biannually and is a one-day program designed to help people learn the fundamentals of launching a technology venture and the resources available at UTSA and within the San Antonio community to help with that process. Primarily for students, but open to the public. Free, requires registration.

Regional I-Corps Workshops: Hosted by OCI, these regional workshops provide an introduction to the NSF I-Corps and “lean startup” process for developing a product development plan that is validated by real customer needs. Formats vary from in person workshops to completely online programs. Completion of this course can make a team eligible for participation in a National NSF I-Corps cohort. More information here: http://research.utsa.edu/utsaicorps

Student Competitions: $100K Student Technology Venture Competition: CITE hosts the annual $100K Student Technology Venture Competition to give students hands-on experience as early stage entrepreneurs. Teams of interdisciplinary students work throughout the semester to develop a technology demonstrator and business plan to successfully develop a new company.

Big Rowdy Idea Business Model Competition: The expressed purpose of the CITE Business Model Competition is to teach the Lean Startup Methodology and prepare participants to launch scalable entrepreneurial ventures while simultaneously pursuing their degree program or working at UTSA.

Entrepreneur-in-Residence: OCI contracts with experienced entrepreneurs in various fields to help researchers understand the market potential of their technologies with the possibility that they will form companies to develop them if there is a good fit. Please contact oci@utsa.edu if you are or know of an interested entrepreneur.

NSF I-Corps National Cohort ($50,000 award): The National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program prepares scientists and engineers to extend their focus beyond the university laboratory, and accelerates the economic and societal benefits of NSF-funded, basic-research projects that are ready to move toward commercialization. Through I-Corps, NSF grantees learn to identify valuable product opportunities that can emerge from academic research, and gain skills in entrepreneurship through training in customer discovery and guidance from established entrepreneurs. https://www.nsf.gov/news/special_reports/i-corps/

Venture Mentoring Service (VMS) San Antonio: VMS San Antonio has assembled San Antonio’s most respected and prestigious mentors to support and advise startups arising from the many entrepreneurship-related activities of UTSA and UT Health SA. To find out how you can participate as a mentor or a venture, find out more here: http://research.utsa.edu/vms-san-antonio/

  • Texas Venture Connect: VMS San Antonio is the fourth of it’s kind program that falls under University of Texas System’s (UT System) umbrella. Texas Venture Connect (TVC) is a mentor network that brings together diverse experts and experienced entrepreneurs to increase the success for UT-related innovators. TVC leverages trained volunteer mentors that provide high-quality, conflict-free, team-based entrepreneurship mentoring to help guide UT innovators. For UT-based startup teams/companies. https://www.utsystem.edu/offices/talent-and-innovation/texas-venture-connect

UT SBIR/STTR Support Network: The UT System Entrepreneurship Network seeks to position UT System as a lead commercialization partner to federal agencies, such as the National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation. To accomplish this goal, the UT System SBIR/STTR Support Network offers valuable resources to UT research-based startups, in order to increase the quality of SBIR/STTR applications and ultimately, the number of awards. Companies can contact oci@utsa.edu to inquire. For UT-based startup teams/companies. https://www.utsystem.edu/offices/talent-and-innovation/innovation-resources/ut-system-sbirsttr-support-network

UTSA Small Business Development Center (SBDC): offers integrated services to meet the needs of experienced small business owners as well as entrepreneurs just starting a business. Servicing San Antonio and the 10 counties surrounding Bexar County, the UTSA SBDC professional staff provides confidential, one-on-one business advising at no charge. The center provides no-cost and low-cost training workshops covering a vast array of topics to help small businesses grow and succeed. Free and fee-based offerings, requires registration. https://sasbdc.org/

UTSA SBDC Technology Commercialization Center: is a specialty center of the South-West Texas Border SBDC Network. The Center provides confidential management advisory services for high-tech entrepreneurs, scientific researchers, start-ups, and established businesses. Clients of the center qualify to receive technical and business assistance with technology readiness assessments, intellectual property (IP) assistance, venture pitches, federal and state research and development (R&D) grants/contracts, mentorship, Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer and Research (STTR) proposals, Department of Defense (DoD) pitches, sponsored research agreements, commercial market analysis, and applied research assistance. https://sbdctexas.org/texas-federal-innovation-and-technology-transfer/

UTSA New Venture Incubator: OCI operates an incubator focused on supporting the translation of research into products and services, with both office and laboratory space to provide new companies with that first location.
Application required, fee based on level of usage. http://research.utsa.edu/research-funding/commercialization/new-venture-incubator

UTSA Roadrunner Incubator: The UTSA Roadrunner Incubator is an incubator for early-stage student companies from the $100K Student Technology Venture Competition and the entrepreneurship program. The incubator hosts and nurtures new technology ventures on campus while connecting them to the broader San Antonio entrepreneurial ecosystem. Successful new companies launched in the incubator will quickly transition out to become part of the regional technology-based economy. The incubator is located in the Business Building Room 3.02.26 and is run by the UTSA Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization. For more information please contact CEO at roadrunnerceo@gmail.com. Available to UTSA students, membership fee required.

Accelerators and Funding

Incubators and Co-working Spaces

Networking and Helpful Association