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Technology Transfer & Corporate Partnerships

New Venture Creation & Entrepreneurship

Startups are key to developing licensed technologies. Caltech OTTCP, including our two Entrepreneurs in Residence, actively support the formation of startup companies based on Caltech and JPL technologies by maintaining close relationships in the entrepreneurial community.
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300+ startups founded since 1990
$8.7B total capital invested
$630M raised in FY2021
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The Startup Process

Startup Process

The Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) at Caltech support founders interested in startup creation from ideation to launch.

The Caltech EIRs meet founders where they are and help accelerate their journey along their startup path as they define the best way to commercialize Caltech technology. It all starts with a meeting with one or both of the EIRs to discuss an idea or invention and its potential applications. Founders can check-in for advice or support at a frequency that meets their needs or interact intensively with the EIRs over several months to accelerate startup creation.

Whether it's your first startup or your fifth, Caltech EIRs provide customized mentorship and support including making connections to subject matter experts, supporting customer discovery and market research, helping craft product/market fit and differentiation, and advising on the art of fundraising. The EIRs coach founders on how to effectively pitch their startup to top venture investors to secure pre-seed or seed funding, including honing the startup's value proposition, budget, and technology development plans.

A founder's journey rarely follows a straight path. Our 1:1 engagement model ensures that we support founders wherever they are on the path to launching a startup with actionable advice, meaningful introductions for market exploration, warm introductions to potential investors, and support through pitching and securing funding.

Launching Your Venture

Launching Your Venture

Caltech Funding Sources

Caltech Innovation Center

The Caltech Innovation Center (CIC) has been launched as part of Caltech's latest efforts to help its researchers commercialize technologies and build a vibrant innovation ecosystem around campus. The CIC functions as an incubator to house and support newly formed startup companies with the objective to position them for success. Located across from the Caltech campus, the close co-location maximizes collaborative opportunities and connects the latest research in academia with solving practical real-world problems. In addition to providing basic facilities for the startups, the CIC will be providing programming to support the entrepreneurial efforts of scientists and engineers who wish to commercialize promising new technologies as a key component of a successful innovation ecosystem. Please contact Maral Gharib with any questions regarding CIC and applications for use of the space.

Entrepreneurship Resources

Clubs

The eClub is a student-run organization that provides educational and networking opportunities focused on entrepreneurship for undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and staff through events and seminars. Learn more about the eClub.

The mission of the CBC is to foster better and stronger relationships between Caltech and the biotechnology industries. The CBC also provides career education through networking events and seminars. Learn more about the CBC.

The CPA organizes activities, workshops, and events to assist with professional development. Learn more about the CPA.

Like the CPA, the Caltech GSC organizes activities, workshops, and events to help with professional development. Learn more about the GSC.

The CDC assists Caltech undergraduate and graduate students with career planning, graduate and professional school advising, job search strategies, internships and related opportunities. Learn more about the CDC and their events.

Founder Notes: Advice from our Entrepreneur-in-Residence Helen McBride

Internships

The Caltech Office of Technology Transfer and Corporate Partnerships is offering two paid venture internships for the summer of 2021. The venture interns will provide support to the Caltech Seed Fund which is an early-stage venture fund specifically designed to help Caltech faculty and students create new businesses. We seek a life science intern and a physical science intern to work directly with the fund team including Caltech's Entrepreneurs in Residence.

Job Description: Venture Interns will support the Entrepreneurs in Residence to help identify and analyze the potential of technology spinouts. The specific job duties will vary but may include:

  • Market Research
  • Financial Modeling
  • Strategic Commercialization Analysis
  • Technology Analysis
  • Risk Analysis

Skills Required: Ideal candidates will have an interest in entrepreneurial activity and be hardworking, professional, and eager to learn about venture capital and company formation in the life science or technology space. Strong communication skills, proven work ethic, exceptional analytical skills, demonstrated attention to detail, reliability, responsibility, and pride in workmanship are necessities.

A working knowledge of Excel, PowerPoint, SQL, and light coding are optional but a plus.

All options and years are encouraged to apply.  See the complete description at the link below. You'll need to sign-in with your Caltech email to view the document.

2021 Form Application

Information for Summer 2022 entrepreneurship internship opportunities in OTTCP will be posted in December 2021.

https://lindeinstitute.caltech.edu/education/susi

https://vidaventures.com/contact/

https://fellows.kleinerperkins.com/

Resources

Startup Support Organizations

Startup Incubators

Startups - useful resources on the web: