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Starting   lIne

UARF's pre-accelerator program guides beginner entrepreneurs through a step-by-step process of turning an idea into a business concept by introducing them to customer discovery and the Business Model Canvas. Participants complete the 10-steps to elevate their startup and have an opportunity to win prizes to accelerate them to market.

I-corps

More than 150 entrepreneurial teams and 630 individual participants have completed UARF's 7-week I-Corps program, which focuses on using direct customer interactions to validate a business idea. I-Corps provides training, mentorship and accountability. I-Corps graduates have launched 72 new businesses to date. ​

licensing

UARF manages The University of Akron's portfolio of more than 400 active, pending and provisional patents. UARF's experienced staff focuses on flexible licensing practices that allow it to work effectively with businesses of all sizes.

startup   support

UARF provides more than 4,000 hours of direct startup support services each year, including advice and mentorship by former industry executives known as Senior Fellows, and tactical business and legal support by UARF staff and interns. UARF assists businesses throughout the region with a particular focus on its portfolio companies, which include UA spinouts and I-Corps Site graduates.

archangels

As Akron’s premier platform for presenting new ventures, ARCHAngels brings together entrepreneurs, investors, service providers and students for quarterly events. Since 2005, ARCHAngels has presented more than 175 startups, which has raised $800 million in follow-on funding.

NEOSVF

This student-run fund conducts due diligence and invests up to $25,000 per company in Northeast Ohio tech-based startups (startups need not be run by students). Since 2012, NEOSVF has invested $305,000 in 13 companies, which have raised $7 million in follow-on funding and created 81 jobs.

P.A.C.E.  GAMES

The P.A.C.E. Idea Games are activities for students who are interested in cultivating the entrepreneurial mindset by engaging in activities centered around play, empathy, experimentation, and “The Pursuit and Art of Creativity and Entrepreneurship

internships

​Internships through UARF allow students to help commercialize new technologies, assist entrepreneurial businesses​, learn skills outside of their specific field​, and work on a cross-disciplinary team of attorneys, business people, engineers and scientists. UARF offers both paid and for-credit internships to students from all disciplines.

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