Griffiss Institute and Wasabi Ventures Announce Fall 2016 AFRL Commercialization Academy Teams
Ten teams are preparing their startups in order to be selected to pitch live at the Fall 2016 AFRL Commercialization Academy Demo Day on October 26, 2016
Griffiss Institute and Wasabi Ventures are pleased to announce the 10 member teams of the Fall 2016 Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Commercialization Academy Cohort. These tech transfer teams are being incubated while building their startups around Department of Defense intellectual property (IP) from the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (AFRL/RI) in Rome, New York.
During a five-month commercial viability process, these entrepreneurs are receiving an abundance of tools and resources, including an educational platform that teaches the logistics of building a startup. Each IP technology and entrepreneur is going through an intense vetting process to further explore the commercial viability of the technologies. Each entrepreneur will seek to develop and test strategies to build sustainable startups eligible for licensing opportunities. Each entrepreneur has embarked on an acceleration process to build a piece of IP into a sustainable startup.
The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Commercialization Academy is a Griffiss Institute entrepreneurial education program sponsored by the AFRL/RI. The Griffiss Institute welcomed Wasabi Ventures to lead the way in the program in January 2015. The program is designed to be complementary to local startup programs, and to permit participants to leverage all additional non-program resources they may be eligible for.
Personal mentorship and incubation will be provided by Wasabi Ventures’ partners and staff, plus selected expert contributors, leveraging the firm’s resources and network of talent to build each startup. “Our goal is to find the right entrepreneurial talent with domain expertise in order to build great startups, while incorporating licensed AFRL technologies,” said Wasabi Ventures’ Managing Partner TK Kuegler.
At the end of the program, selected teams will pitch to the local investment community, industry leaders, and other potential partners at a live Demo Day on October 26, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. EDT at The thINCubator’s new location at 326 Broad Street, Utica, New York. A live audience and a judges’ vote will be held, with a cash prize to be given to each of the two winners of the two best pitches of the day.
Check out the company descriptions for some of the startup teams selected for the Fall 2016 AFRL Commercialization Academy Cohort:
FleurDay — This mobile flowery delivery platform offers same-day delivery, shipping from bouquet kiosks scattered across the city. Overhead costs are minimized, with those savings being passed on to the customer, while providing a simple mobile buying experience.
Boxscore — Sports team management network in which athletes, teams, coaches, and fans can create real-time updates, such as scores, standings, rosters, statistics, benchmarks, and networking for all seasons and tournaments in one place.
QwikSupply — Software application company that streamlines the ordering and inventory process for electrical contractors and related suppliers. The application allows for electrical contractors to order items on the job and obtain a materials quote in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
Homeparify — Data aggregation and analysis service that gives real estate agents the ability to provide a holistic picture of the current and future costs of homeownership (TCO) related to a specific home before their clients make a decision to buy.
Sensible Spreader Technologies — Using mobile devices, wireless sensors, and cloud computing, Sensible Spreader 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 Coverage Indication Technology is designed to assist the operator in seeing where material has been applied, when it was last applied, and where material is needed. The system can also indicate areas where plowing operations have taken place over time durations. In street sweeping operations, the system indicates swept areas.
Skillio — Through its advanced career services management (CSM) web application, Skillio connects schools and employers. Students and alumni of colleges and universities can access skills courses created and approved by employers to increase their odds of employment for each position.
MakeIt 3D — Printing as a Service platform (PaaS) for 3D printing services of all types. MakeIt 3D links consumers with hobbyists, makers, designers and inventors. The platform allows users to buy and sell digital model files, and contract out printing and 3D modeling work to registered Shippers, who are paid by users to print specific models.
Monitoring the Monitors — Network monitoring solution that selects the strongest features of other monitors, most notably mapping and notifications features, to provide consumers with a better performing monitor without the excessive features that slow down performance.
Many of the founding team members selected for the AFRL Commercialization Academy are students of the proven Wasabi Ventures Academy. This free startup education program provides participants a thorough overview of the startup world and allows them to learn firsthand from working alongside Wasabi Ventures’ founders and other successful entrepreneurs. Participants are given access to Wasabi Ventures’ network of friends, advisors, and the more than 2000 prior graduates of the program in order to quickly connect with the startup world.
Wasabi Ventures’ approach to startup education is anchored by the Wasabi Ventures Academy, a program that is redefining startup education. Focused around the individual, the formal startup education curriculum teaches participants about the startup world, while they work towards potentially becoming a founder of a startup. With a combination of startup curriculum, resources, and opportunity, each individual can find exactly what they are looking for in the Wasabi Ventures Academy.
