1. IFC Emerging Market Tech Transfer Convocation:
Models for Technology Commercialization
―Every individual that we can
inspire, that we can guide, that we
can help to start a new
Christine A. Gulbranson, PhD MBA company, is vital to the future
of our economic welfare.‖
— Ewing Kauffman
© 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.

2. www.kauffman.org
© 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.

3. Catalyzing
Entrepreneurial Success
and Innovation
© 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.

4. The Entrepreneurial Economy
© 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.

5. entrepreneurship.org
© 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.

6. Proof of Concept Stage-
• Bridge the gap between
research innovation &
seed funding
• Create an environment
that promotes
commercialization in a
research setting
• Smooth the edges in the
interface between
business & research
© 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.

7. Enabling Commercialization
Through Proof of Concept Centers
Not just gap funding
•Prioritization of commercially viable projects
•Expertise in developing commercial plans
•Focused technology commercialization education
•Small level of funding creates tremendous impact
•Active mentorship & center team involvement
•External outreach
•Strong External Social Network
•Initially focused in engineering
http://www.kauffman.org/uploadedFiles/POC_Centers_01242008.pdf
© 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.
Journal of Tech Transfer (2008) 33:249-258

8. Metrics of Success
 Number of projects funded vs. applications received
 Number of start-ups created
 Number of patents issued
 Number of licenses
 Failure rate (the lower the more successful!)
 Total hours of assistance provided
 Number of jobs created – direct & indirect
 Macro economic output
 Revenue of startups
 Tax revenue generated
 Startup valuations/market cap
 Follow on capital helped raised
 Cumulative exits of companies created
 Funds raised for the center per year
 Sustainability of center
 Sponsors/investors/partners of program
 Amount of press received & rankings © 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.

9. Benefits of POC Centers
 POCs helps to explain the idea & convince people it is
real (it turns skeptics into believers)
 Business mentoring & outreach enables technology to
have a far higher probability of reaching the marketplace
with a product
 In exchange for removing some of the technical risk,
POCs create and capture increased economic value
 Proof of concept enables inventors to raise more capital
at the seed stage
© 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.

10. Enabling Commercialization
Through Mentoring & Acceleration
Mentoring Models: Engaging entrepreneurs and industry
Leaders in supporting early stage start-up’s
Acceleration Models: Vertically focused for profit organizations
(not incubators) that provide hands on management & funding to
accelerate the growth of early stage technologies.
Foundry YCombinator
IdeaLab Accelerator
http://www.kauffman.org/uploadedFiles/Finding_Business_Idols.pdf
© 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.

11. Enabling Commercialization
•Educational programs focused on faculty and graduate students
http://entrepreneurship.ucdavis.edu/green.php
© 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. All rights reserved.