MADISON – The America’s Seed Fund 2024 Road Tour is coming to Madison, WI on July 18 as part of a national tour that will connect entrepreneurs working on advanced technology to the country’s largest source of early-stage funding.
Also known as the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs, America’s Seed Fund focuses on next-generation research and development through 11 participating federal agencies.
Agency representatives will travel together to Madison to conduct one-on-one meetings with small businesses and startups, take part in panel discussions, present on SBIR/STTR technology areas and share insights into how agencies make funding decisions.
“This is a rare opportunity for Wisconsin entrepreneurs to engage face-to-face with the SBIR and STTR program leaders. We are excited to host this event again, and hope that researchers, startups and small businesses attend to get a better sense of how the SBIR/STTR programs can launch their innovation towards commercialization,” said Margaret Ramey, Director of the Center for Technology Commercialization.
The Road Tour is organized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The host for the Madison stop is the Center for Technology Commercialization (CTC), a local Federal and State Technology (FAST) partner. CTC is partnering with StartingBlock Madison to host the event.
“We’re thrilled to partner with SBA and CTC to bring the America’s Seed Fund Road Tour to Wisconsin this summer,” said Scott Mosley, CEO of StartingBlock Madison. “StartingBlock has recently partnered with SBA’s Global Accelerator Fund Competition to launch the Wisconsin HardTech accelerator by StartingBlock. This 16-week program will prepare entrepreneurs from across Wisconsin who are building solutions in the manufacturing, food, bev, ag and energy sectors to compete for SBIR/STTR funding. Getting to connect with federal agency leaders and program managers will give companies real insight into how to prepare competitive applications.”
Americaʼs Seed Fund provides over $4 billion in early-stage funding to small businesses each year in a wide variety of technology areas such as unmanned systems, advanced materials, health, cybersecurity and defense.
The program executes over 6,000 new funding awards annually, which allow innovators to advance new technologies and contribute to the creation of thousands of jobs.
The Road Tour seeks to increase SBIR and STTR participation by women, small companies in underrepresented states like Wisconsin and individuals who are socially and economically disadvantaged.
Participants can also learn about state-specific resources for innovation-based ventures. Lunch will be provided. Small technology firms, scientists and researchers are encouraged to attend.
Registration is required and available online on the CTC event page where an agenda and other details about the event can also be found. Additionally, we are offering a Resource Fair for entrepreneurial ecosystem partners; learn more and apply.
For more information, contact CTC’s Kody Ova at 701-320-7502 or .
About Center for Technology Commercialization
The Center for Technology Commercialization is part of the Universities of Wisconsin Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship. CTC provides one-on-one expert consulting to early-stage emerging technology businesses throughout Wisconsin. CTC has collaborated in acquiring more than $100 million in federal and other funding for clients. Learn more at www.wisconsinctc.org; follow @WisconsinCTC on Twitter.
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