Tag: Funding

It’s no secret that you need funding to launch a start-up, and angel investing and venture capital are two of the most common sources. There are significant differences between these types of funding, and the right fit depends on both the characteristics of the inventor (you) and the terms of investments. What is an angel investor? An angel investor is someone that provides a large amount of their own money to an early-stage startup. Some angels invest independently, but often investors will join angel networks in which they pool funds to make larger investments. In exchange for this monetary support, Read More …

Women-owned businesses are on the rise: According to 2022 census data, their average earnings increased by 27% from 2021, they employ 10.9 million Americans, and they had an estimated $432.1 billion in annual payroll. But despite these impressive numbers, women-owned businesses still lag behind their non-women-owned counterparts in an important area. While women-owned businesses were more likely to take funding compared to men in 2022, they got less money. In 2022, male-owned businesses received 41% more in funding than women-owned enterprises. Since a lack of funding can prevent a start-up from getting off the ground, these facts put women-owned start-ups Read More …

Ask any entrepreneur, and they’ll tell you that money is a top concern for their small business. Profits are essential, but grants specifically for small businesses can also be a gamechanger for their long-term success. Grants – monetary awards designated for a specific purpose – help small businesses in more ways than one. They can bring in more cash flow, offer visibility and credibility, and make businesses more likely to receive other forms of funding. For U.S.-based companies, there are several small business grant options, starting with the government. Does the government provide small business grants? Yes! The United States Read More …

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs both provide Small Business Administration (SBA) grants to small businesses for research. The two programs share the same three phases, with separate federal contracts awarded for Phases I and II. Phase I is innovation and research, where the scientific merit and commercial viability of an innovation is studied.  Phase II focuses on the innovation’s development, demonstration and delivery. Phase III involves preparation for commercial rollout and is funded by outside sources rather than the SBA. While the two programs share many similarities, they have some important differences Read More …

In the world of startup funding, resources and donors abound. Securing a piece of this abundance, however, is quite a tricky prospect. Two such funding programs, the STTR (Small Business Technology Transfer Research) and SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research), are operated by the U.S. government agencies such as NIH, DOD and others. These initiatives allot federal research money to small businesses with the intent of funding scientific research directed towards commercialization efforts. This article will dive deeper into the STTR/SBIR application process, highlighting various resources available to researchers who wish to utilize such funding in their own startup efforts. A Read More …

Crowdfunding has been all the rage for years now. Take Ouya or the Pebble Watch, for example, which raised millions of dollars within a matter of weeks. The product-based platforms of Kickstarter or IndieGoGo aren’t even the only ones out there—equity crowdfunding is also becoming a popular method of raising funds among newer startups, even those that already have Series A funding. But it’s important to know crowdfunding isn’t without its drawbacks. Start-ups, especially less established ones, need to be careful before turning to the world wide web for what seems like free money. It isn’t. Money off the Top Read More …

Every start-up wants to become the next verb. “She definitely Photoshopped that image.” “Do you think we can Uber home from here?” “Here, let me Google that for you.” But before any of those companies ever had their names added to the Oxford English Dictionary, they were lean units, not even a fraction of the size they are today. Those small groups of entrepreneurs got to realize their dream through accumulating funding — at first, coming from the pockets of their family and friends, but eventually from dedicated venture capitalists. The list below will detail each formalized round of start-up Read More …

Entrepreneurs and small business owners at Emory who are looking for an alternate source of income can tap into Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funds administered by the federal government. In association with some of its largest and most influential agencies, the U.S. government is looking to support innovation and growth by funding the newly seeded businesses involved in research and development. The SBIR program was founded in 1977 when two men, Roland Tibbetts and Senator Edward Kennedy, recognized the importance of small business growth in the economy. Birthed out of the National Science Foundation (NSF), success in the first Read More …

Every start-up founder hopes one day for their project/technology to succeed, reach the market, and quite often improve patients’ lives. Funding is just one of the critical hurdles in the early stages. The following list will explain just a few of the many sources of investment. Bootstrapping: Sometimes the best source of funding for a small business can be its entrepreneur(s). Bootstrap financing is starting a business with minimal capital mostly provided by a person or group of people from the start-up team. This often includes dipping into savings, retirement, personal loans (including home equity), or accessing credit cards. This Read More …