Batten Institute - Education - Startup Seminar

WHAT IS THE STARTUP SEMINAR? The Startup Seminar is offered through PhD Plus with the purpose to foster a more innovative and entrepreneurial mindset by introducing participants to and engaging them with the challenges faced by innovators and entrepreneurs.The seminar is meant to provide relevant frameworks and skills whether you are pursuing a new research project, starting up a new lab, hoping to commercialize an invention, or simply interested in working at the intersection of science and society.

The seminar series is the result of a collaboration between the UVA Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs and the Darden School of Business Batten Institute, with support from the Office of the Provost.

WHO'S IT FOR? Any graduate student at the University of Virginia

WHEN IS IT? Thursdays 4:00pm-5:15pm EDT from 16 March - 27 April

WHERE IS IT? Rouss Hall, Room 403; and Virtual

HOW DO I SIGN UP? Email David Touve

Spring 2023: Commercialization Series

MAR 16. The Startup Pitch
What is a startup? What sorts of challenges do founders navigate in the early stages of a company? Is founding or joining a startup right for you? This discussion will make you familiar with the key ingredients of a compelling startup as well as a compelling startup pitch.

MAR 23. Starting Up and Staging Risk
How does ownership take shape for the founders at the start of a company and how can that ownership change over time? How do founders and investors “tease out” the risk along the way? The early history of the relationship between Genentech and venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins will provide the story supporting our discussion.

MAR 30. Intellectual property
Today’s discussion will address a series of questions related to intellectual property. What types of work can be copyrighted? What is covered by and how do you register a trademark? What types of inventions can or cannot be patented? How are these forms of intellectual property different?

APR 06. Incorporation
C Corporation, LLC, Sole Proprietor, Non Profit versus For Profit—how are these types of incorporation different, and why form a company in the first place? During today's session, we will outline and discuss the different types of incorporation, and answer your questions along the way.

APR 13. The Patent Process
For this discussion we will dive more deeply into the patent process, highlighting the steps required to file a patent, the scope of materials that you need, the timeframe and costs you should expect, as well as the sorts of speed bumps and surprises you can encounter along the way.

APR 20. The Funding landscape
What are the differences among angel investors, seed funds, venture capitalists, and other investors? Not to mention, what different types of capital can these individuals and organizations provide? This discussion will provide a background on the sources of funding for startup companies, the differences among these sources, and which sources can be the better fit for particular stages in the startup lifecycle—from prototype to exit.

APR 27. VC Term Sheets
Early stage investments also involve a wide variety of terms and protections. Today, we will return to the story of Genentech and Kleiner Perkins to understand how these terms found in investment agreements impact both founders and investors—particularly, in the event that the company is acquired.