The CITRIS Foundry has officially launched! This program for UC entrepreneurs is now open for applications, and initial teams are expected to be announced in mid-December.
The CITRIS Foundry was launched to advance CITRIS’s goal of positively impacting California’s economy by actively supporting the development of companies.
“Teams have access to the state-of-the-art CITRIS Invention Lab, to experienced outside mentors, to collaborative workspaces, and to a comprehensive business and start-up education,” says Patrick Scaglia, a CITRIS Foundry co-founder. “The teams get help building an advanced prototype and developing their business plan, in order to get them to a point where they can effectively raise money independently.”
“We are uniquely positioned to help people who are interested in the intersection of hardware, software, and services because of our facilities and partners,” notes Steve DeMello, another CITRIS Foundry co-founder and Director of CITRIS Health.
The CITRIS Foundry is focused on teams. Applicants can be students, faculty, staff, or alumni (within the last 3 years), and can come from any of the four CITRIS campuses. Outside mentors will be carefully matched to the teams, and business seminars are provided by its UC partners like the Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (CET) and private firms like Hub Ventures.
“We are looking for best ideas out there for new companies: ideas that are scalable and have potential to significantly impact the economy and society,” says Peter Minor, a 5th-year graduate student, and CITRIS Foundry co-founder.