2022 Program Dates:
January  (1/6, 1/13, 1/20)

Starting Blocks is the beginning of your journey to commercializing your technology.

Find data-driven market interest from people in the industry

Unlock access to other resources and programs including Research to Market, Lab Venture Challenge, and Ascent Accelerator.

Start the process to be an investable company

The program is a 3-day workshop with customer interviews designed to help scientists and engineers of all types find a market for their innovations. The core concept encourages inventors to get out of the lab and talk to industry decision-makers to find out what problem the industry needs their product to solve.

This is the shortest, “introductory” version of the National Science Foundation's I-Corps™ methodology, which helps inventors build a customer discovery toolkit and learn to talk to industry and business funders about their technologies. Starting Blocks leverages the nationally-recognized Lean LaunchPad methodology, specifically designed for university researchers commercializing their inventions.

The program consists of:

  • Three half-day lectures on customer discovery and interviewing
  • Five to 10 interviews during the week done in a target industry
  • Weekly check-in meetings with staff and mentors

APPLY HERE

Questions? Contact Sally Hatcher, Sally.Hatcher@colorado.edu.