Attendees will learn about the startup activities of the AFRL Commercialization Academy, a technology transfer program, and accelerator IgniteU NY in Upstate New York
Troy, NY –The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Commercialization Academy Showcase, hosted by Griffiss Institute, IgniteU NY, and Wasabi Ventures, will underscore the efforts made by these three organizations to enhance the venture capital and startup ecosystems in Upstate New York. The event will be held Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. EDT at IgniteU NY, (Quackenbush Building), 333 Broadway, Suite 350, Troy, New York.
Griffiss Institute is a Technology Transfer Partnership Intermediary of the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate in Rome, New York. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Commercialization Academy is a Griffiss Institute entrepreneurial education program sponsored by the AFRL/RI. The Griffiss Institute welcomed early-stage venture capital firm Wasabi Ventures to lead the way in the program in January 2015.
The technology transfer program is designed to develop entrepreneurial leaders through the commercialization of federal intellectual property (IP) in order to facilitate the growth of Upstate New York’s economy through tech startups. With Wasabi Ventures leading the way, the program has shifted from student teams toward an accelerator-based approach for more seasoned candidates. These candidates are businesspeople who either desire to use AFRL-developed technology to enhance their startups’ present technology, or build a startup around intellectual property licensed from the AFRL.
Attendees of the showcase will meet two of the member startup teams of the Fall 2016 AFRL Commercialization Academy Cohort before they compete at the Fall 2016 AFRL Commercialization Academy Demo Day on October 26, 2016 at The thINCubator in Utica, NY. Boxscore and Sensible Spreader Technologies will share how being a part of the AFRL Commercialization Academy has helped them to grow their startups.
Boxscore is a sports team management network for athletes, teams, coaches, parents, and fans to create real-time updates associated with team fees, scores, standings, rosters, statistics, benchmarks, and networking for little league, collegiate, and professional sports teams.
Using mobile devices, wireless sensors, and cloud computing, Sensible Spreader Technologies brings operators of winter road maintenance and street sweeping fleets together in real-time through the Coverage Indication System in order to economize resources, increase safety, and decrease impact on the environment.
The audience will also hear from early-stage startup accelerator IgniteU NY’s Bruce Toyama, who will unveil their new programming to startups and entrepreneurs in the Upstate and Central New York. Wasabi Ventures has partnered with IgniteU NY to offer SF101 to budding entrepreneurs in these regions.
SF101 is a self-paced, virtual course that is combined with IgniteU NY’’s personal touch. Participants in this program not only learn the basics of startup life from experienced entrepreneurs, they also become part of a cohort of individuals who share a similar passion for entrepreneurship. In-person meetups will be held regularly for participants to get together at IgniteU to discuss SF101 content and share their experiences.
Everyone interested in venture capital, tech transfer, or building a tech startup in Upstate and Central New York are welcome to attend the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Commercialization Academy Showcase. Admission to the event is free.
About IgniteU NY
IgniteU NY is a community-oriented, early-stage accelerator and entrepreneur support initiative in Upstate and Central New York, powered by NYSTEC. The idea for IgniteU NY arose out of discussions between Michael Walsh, Michele Salisbury, and Bruce Toyama in 2015. Entrepreneurs who share the common goal of creating successful businesses are brought together in a collaborative environment to show them how much the region has to offer. The accelerator creates creative collisions among startups and the community to encourage entrepreneurs to launch and grow their startups in New York. Using the lean startup methodology, customer discovery and development process, and experiential learning, IgniteU NY fosters the entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystem in Upstate New York.
To learn more about IgniteU NY, please visit their website www.igniteuny.com.
About the Griffiss Institute
Established in 2002 by the State of New York, the Griffiss Institute is an independent 501(c)(3) entity governed by a board of directors. By partnering the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (AFRL/RI) and its technologies with private industry and academia, the Griffiss Institute is able to facilitate and grow the technology base of the Upstate New York region. Since 2014, the Griffiss Institute has successfully enabled the AFRL Commercialization Academy to create over 20 Startups using intellectual property developed in the Information Directorate. The institute has created a collaborative teaming environment accessible to AFRL/RI that provides an environment conducive to the growth of technology and ideas, while creating new business opportunities.
To learn more about the Griffiss Institute, please visit www.griffissinstitute.org.
About Wasabi Ventures
Founded by Chris Yeh and TK Kuegler in 2003, Wasabi Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm specializing in cofounding, investing in, incubating, building, and advising early-stage technology companies. Its approach allows early-stage startups to gain traction quickly through interaction with its founders. The firm is also involved in entrepreneurial education programs that move cutting-edge technologies out from leading federal, corporate, and university research labs around the world and into the market through the formation of startup ventures.
To learn more about Wasabi Ventures, please visit our website www.wasabiventures.com.