Almost 440 companies have completed the CONNECT Springboard accelerator program since 2005. More than 290 alumni have raised over $1.6 billion in capital. Nearly 20 percent of alumni have undergone liquidity events such as acquisitions or IPOs. As of 2016, over 250 Springboard graduates were still actively in business, with alumni companies creating more than 6,000 jobs. The accelerator focuses on tech, life sciences and consumer products companies, helping entrepreneurs refine their pitch and commercialization strategy.

1. 2016 SPRINGBOARD
IMPACT REPORT
2005 through 2016

2. Springboard is CONNECT’s business accelerator program for tech
and life sciences companies. It is a mentoring program designed
to assist entrepreneurs and innovators in refining their business
plan and developing a compelling commercialization strategy
and robust investor pitch. The end goal of the coaching process
is to prepare the entrepreneur to position the startup for future
partnerships, funding and growth.
The mentoring is supported by seasoned, C-level executives - our
Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EIRs) - who have experience in
growing companies and raising capital. The EIRs are supported
by a group of our Domain Experts who have expertise in a wide
variety of technical and functional arenas.
Springboard Impact Report
The Impact Survey data reports on the health of the companies
that have gone through CONNECT programs, the various
milestones achieved, including the impact on employment.
Springboard class denotes the year in which the company
completed the accelerator program.
In 2017 CONNECT reached out to all the alumni of the Springboard
program from 2005 to 2016 and the Venture Routable Winners
from 2006 to 2012 to follow-up on their progress. Sixty-two
companies responded to the survey. Their responses have been
aggregated and presented in the report. In addition, data on
investment capital raised, grant funding secured, and job creation
was gathered from M&A, private equity, venture capital and federal
grant databases.
Growth after Mentoring
2005 Through 2016
441
Companies have completed
Springboard Accelerator program
27
Springboard alumni have
been acquired
254
Springboard alumni
are still in business
291
Springboard alumni
raised capital
$1.6B
Cumulative capital raised
by Springboard alumni
$1.7B
Cumulative exit value capital
by Springboard alumni
>6,000
Jobs created by Springboard
alumni companies
57%
Springboard Alumni remain
actively in business
64%
Springboard Alumni have
raised capital
Pre-screen
review
APPLY
WORK WITH MENTORS
Intake
panel
Orientation
kickoff
Business
strategy/
Marketing
Finance
panel
Dry-run
panel
Graduation
(avg 6 weeks)
CONNECT SPRINGBOARD PROGRAM
(avg 6 months)
Technology (52%)
Life Sciences (32%)
Consumer Products (16%)
254SPRINGBOARD
ALUMNI
HIGHLIGHTS
9%
7%
5%
3%
4%
3%
1%
1%
4%
7%
Springboard Alumni Portfolio by Industry Sector
14%
5%
4%
3%
2%
2%
2%
2%
2%
1%
1%
1%
2%
2%
3%
Application Software
Cleantech
FinTech and Services
Hardware, Electronics, and Electrical Equipment
E-Commerce
Wireless Communications Networks & Systems
Defense
EdTech
Information Technology
Marketing Tech
Mobile App
Social Media
Artifical Intelligence and Machine Learning
Automotive
BlueTech
Commercial and Building Products
Media and Information Services
Big Data
Data Analytics
Cyber Security
Unmanned Vehicles
Pharmaceuticals
Diagnostics, Tools and Supplies
Med Device
Healthcare Services
Healthcare Technology
Digital Health
Biotechnology and Chemicals
Recreational Goods and Services
Food and Beverage
Sports and Active Life Styles
Consumer Durables
Health and Wellness
Over 250 Springboard Alumni are Still Actively in Business
1%
1%
1%
1%
<0%
<0%
2%
2%
Almost 440 companies have completed the
CONNECT Springboard accelerator program.
More than 290 alumni have raised capital.
Nearly 20 percent of the alumni have undergone
liquidity events. Twenty-seven total companies
have been acquired.
Ten companies have exited by merging their
assets with another private company or have
taken the company public through an initial public
offering.
As of December 2016, more than 250 Springboard
graduates were still actively in operation.
Since 2005

3. $1.46B Cumulative Total Amount Raised by Springboard Alumni 2005 – 2015
Capital Raised by Industry Cluster 2005 – 2016
CAPITAL
Life Sciences; 46%
Sports Innovation/Active Lifestyle; <1%
Defense/Cyber/Robotics; 3%
Digital Health; 4%
Consumer Products; 4%
Cleantech; 12%
Technology/Digital Media/
IT/Software/SaaS; 31%
Digital Health
$20M - $50M: 5 companies
Cleantech
>50M: 1 company
$20M - $50M: 2 companies
Technology
>50M: 1 company
$20M - $50M: 5 companies
Consumer Products
$20M - $50M: 1 company
Defense & Cybersecurity
>50M: 1 company
Life Sciences
>50M: 1 company
$20M - $50M: 11 companies
$1.6B
RAISED BY 291
SPRINGBOARD
ALUMNI
2005 - 2016
TWENTY-EIGHT COMPANIES HAVE RAISED SUBSTANTIAL
AMOUNTS OF CAPITAL BETWEEN 2005 - 2016
$1.6B RAISED BY 291 SPRINGBOARD
ALUMNI BETWEEN 2005 & 2016
Total Capital Raised by Springboard Alumni in a Calendar Year
In 2016, Springboard alumni in the Life Sciences sector raised almost $69M. Digital Health alumni
raised $61M. Other alumni in the Tech sector raised $50M.
Capital Raised By Springboard Alumni by Industry Cluster in 2016
CAPITAL
$195M
RAISED BY 64
COMPANIES
in 2016
FundsraisedbySpringboardalumni
(inMillions)
$150
$100
$50
2012 20142013 2015
$82M
$148M
$102M
$192M
$200
Technology/Digital
Media/IT/Software/
SaaS; 26%
Cleantech; 2%
Digital Health; 31%
Life Sciences; 36%
Consumer
Products; 3%
Sports Innovation/
Active lifestyle, <1%
Defense/Cyber/Robotics; 1%
In 2016, 64 companies raised $195 million. In comparison, 96 companies raised $192 million in 2015. Spring-
board alumni are raising larger rounds of capital, an indication of quality and growth as they scale.
$195M
2016

4. CAPITAL
Debt; 8%
Private Equity; 11%
Angel; 5%
Grant; 9%
Strategic Partner; 15%
Others; 9%
Venture Capital; 41%
Friends and Family; 2%
“CONNECT helped us from the incorporation of
Biomatrica to the development of a global enterprise.
The participation in all of the CONNECT programs
allowed us to better develop the concepts and find
the funding for our Innovation.”
Judy Muller-Cohn | Founder and Former CEO
Biomatrica | Springboard Class of 2009
“
Capital Raised By Springboard Alumni by Source in 2016
““CONNECT played an integral part in PureWick’s
success in raising funds and attaining a successful
exit.”
Camille Newton | President
Purewick | Springboard Class of 2016
Springboard Alumni Continue to Contribute to the Growing Innovation Economy
Springboard alumni companies have created more than 6,000 new jobs since 2005. Almost 5,000 of these
jobs were created after the alumni companies completed the Springboard program.
JOBS CREATED BY KEY SECTORS
Technology/Defense/
Cybersecurity/Cleantech
4,220
Life Sciences & Digital Health
2,020
JOBS
Total number of employees before acceptance into Springboard.
Total number of employees after completing Springboard, as of December 2016.
After 6,282
Before 1,695
3.7XINCREASE IN
NEW JOBS
CONNECT mentors instructed North America Repower’s
founders on how to identify strategic investment
partners and how to pitch NAR’s story in a concise and
clear fashion. They also provided guidance on avoiding
many of the pitfalls of private equity investment.
John Reed | Founder | North American Repower
Springboard Class of 2011
Note: Others includes microVC, founders capitalization, prize money.

5. CAPITAL
Company Alumni Class Amount Raised in 2016* Industry Sector
Classy 2009 $30.0M Technology
StatRad 2013 $29.0M Life Sciences
GlySens 2010 $20.0M Life Sciences
Inhibrx 2011 $15.0M Life Sciences
Trefoil Therapeutics 2013 $10.0M Life Sciences
Mabvax Therapeutics 2006 $10.0M Life Sciences
MD Revolution 2013 $9.7M Life Sciences
NanoCellect Biomedical 2012 $8.1M Life Sciences
2C Tech Corporation 2012 $6.0M Life Sciences
eSub 2009 $5.0M Technology
Company Jobs in 2015 Jobs in 2016 Net Increase
Industry
Sector
Classy 80 200 120 Technology
LIA 38 117 79 Technology
JOB CREATION
* Includes equity and non-dilutive funding
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
• Eugene Cho, CEO of Echo,
fka Echo Laboratories, won
the 2016 Quick Pitch contest
organized by Tech Coast
Angels.
• Camille Newton, former
President of PureWick, won
the Athena Pinnacle Award
in 2016.
• Four of the 38 2016
SDVG Cool Companies
were Springboard alumni:
Fragmob, Pet Wireless,
Secured Universe, and eSub.
• Nine of the 30 Finalists
of CONNECT’s 2016 Most
Innovative New Product
(MIP) Awards were
Springboard affiliates.
• Four Springboard
companies won 2016 MIP
Awards:
Water Pigeon - Bluetech
Echo - Life Sciences
Diagnostics & Research
Tools
Guru - Software Digital
Media & Mobile Apps
ACQUISITIONS
Source: PitchBook and sbir.gov
• SupraMed, a provider of web
based medical record keeping,
was acquired by Nextech.
• LIA, a provider of business
intelligence on mobile platform,
was acquired by Showpad.
2016 SPRINGBOARD GRADUATES
BLUETECH CLEANTECH
CONSUMER PRODUCTS
INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
LIFE SCIENCE THERAPEUTICS & DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS
MEDICAL DEVICES
SUCCESS
10 Companies Raised $5M or More in 2016
Source: PitchBook

6. • Brain Corporation raised $114M Series C Round
from SoftBank’s Vision Fund with participation
from Qualcomm Ventures in July 2017. Brain
Corp’s primary product is the BrainOS platform,
a software designed to make it possible to
create autonomous commercial robots using
off-the-shelf hardware and sensors.
• Daylight Solutions was acquired by Leonardo
DRS for $150M in June 2017. Daylight Solutions
developed a laser technology for molecular
detection, imaging and illuminations systems
used in life sciences research, industrial
processes, and military applications.
• North American Repower received a grant
from the California Energy Commission to
demonstrate improved efficiency in natural gas
engines.
• Planck Aerosystems entered a technology
partnership with Madrid based Alpha
Unmanned Systems (AUS) in October 2017.
Planck Aerosystem’s software provides real-
time situational awareness, object detection,
and tracking to the Alpha 800 helicopter. AUS
is a market leader in the helicopter Unmanned
Autonomous Vehicle market.
• Portable Genomics (PG) and CFTechnology.
org entered into partnership in January 2017
to provide a private and tailored health data
management platform for cystic fibrosis
patients on their mobile device. PG is a digital
health company that enables individuals to
control their health and share their personal
health data with healthcare providers, payers,
and research organizations.
• PureWick Inc. was acquired by C.J. Bard
(now BD) in June 2017. PureWick’s female non-
invasive, external catheter offers a new option
for managing female urinary incontinence.
• Trefoil Therapeutics is collaborating with the
National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National
Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
(NCATS) to complete the investigational new
drug enabling activities for their lead compound.
The lead compound has the potential to treat
Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy, a rare
disease indication.
2017 Notable Milestones of
Springboard Alumni
“Our company has pivoted greatly, but many relationships today
are still heavily connected to our time spent with CONNECT, and
our mentors in Springboard.”
Lisa Isaacson | Chief Business Development Officer | NuLeds
Springboard class of 2010
“CONNECT – Springboard provided invaluable advice and
suggestions for transitioning our products to mobile platforms.”
Gary Miner | President | Vivos Health |Springboard class of 2007
“We have definitely gained a lot of credibility as a Springboard
alumnus. It has helped quite a bit as we go through our
fundraising process.”
Ajit Viswanathan | CEO| Doctible | Springboard class of 2014
“Springboard was a fantastic experience for us and led directly
to securing a manufacturing partner, which probably cut 6
months off our time to market.”
Bryan Pate | CEO | Elliptigo | Springboard class of 2009
“I have to give special praise to our Springboard mentors. They
showed “tough love” from the beginning combined with sage
advice. Together, we re-worked our business and produced a
viable plan for long-term success.”
Glenn Oliver | CEO |H2Bid | Springboard class of 2016
“The Springboard process helped us refine and strengthen our
pitch and pitch deck, helping us attract our first two investors.”
D.J. Todd |Product Manager |Puptimize | Springboard class of 2016
WHAT SPRINGBOARD GRADUATES HAVE TO SAY
“
“CONNECT helped us polish
our strategy and pitch so
we were prepared to begin
fundraising.”
Eugene Cho | CEO | Echo |
Springboard Class of 2014
“Springboard helped us
make sure we had a complete
understanding of our business
model, go-to-market strategy,
and business proposition to
be able to speak to investors
in their language.”
Brian Haghighi | CEO |
California Fruit Wine Corp.
Springboard class of 2013
“We gained a massive amount
of learning in a short period
of time through the CONNECT
Springboard program, and
made valuable connections
with the mentors and beyond.
We are deeply grateful for all
the support and recommend
the opportunity to any
ambitious entrepreneur.”
Scott Ferguson | CEO |
Aptitude Medical System
Springboard class of 2013
“

7. CONNECT Springboard Team
Steve Hoey
Vice President, Springboard Accelerator Program
& Innovation Research
Petra Stegmann
Director, Springboard Accelerator Program
Anindita Sarkar
Manager, Springboard Accelerator Program
& Innovation Research
SPONSORSHIP AND SUPPORT
Contact
springboard@connect.org