Recorded on Friday, May 30, 2025
For ambitious founders juggling a full-time tech job and a startup dream — this video is for you.
Check out this deep dive into funding your venture through non-dilutive means, building a minimum viable company, and making smart, budget-conscious decisions to get your startup fundable.
What You'll Learn:
Whether you’re building on weekends or running lean while moonlighting in tech, this video will equip you with a roadmap to fundability – without giving up control or equity earlier than necessary.
We’ll cover:
The Minimum Viable Company: The leanest version of your startup that still qualifies for serious funding opportunities.
Strategic Positioning: Presenting your team, tech, and timing to align with what grant agencies and review panels expect.
Fundability While Bootstrapped: How to make your startup attractive to grantors and funders, even on a limited budget and while holding a 9-5 job.
Outsourcing on a Shoestring: Smart ways to contract out non-core but critical work (without hiring a full team).
Example for outsourcing: scalable contract shops to get you started on your AI-powered tech startup.
Protecting Your IP on a Budget: Essential tactics to safeguard your innovation early without draining your runway.
Non-Dilutive Funding 101: Non-dilutive seed- and pre-seed grants don’t cost you equity.
Anatomy of a grant-fundable project: SBIR and other opportunities, common mistakes that get applications rejected — and how to avoid them.
Global Advantage: Opportunities in international partnerships to access funding and research collaboration.
And more!
Startups like Qualcomm and Amgen got their first big breaks through federal grants. But getting funding isn’t just about great ideas — it’s about understanding how to navigate the system.
Let us help you cut through the noise and position your venture for success with insights you won’t find in a Google search.
About Jurgen Zach:
Jurgen Zach, Startup Funding Coordinator at Ekvacio, is a scientist and entrepreneur who wants to raise awareness and recruit new applicants for this important, merit-based funding opportunity that is oftentimes overlooked in Silicon Valley and other startup ecosystems. He has been guiding startups to successful grant awards for the past six years, and has over twenty years of experience in R&D across energy, sensor technology, and medical devices, and has consulted with many startups in technical projects, grant applications, and as a fractional CTO and business development officer. He has a PhD and MA in physics, is a serial inventor holding over 30 granted or pending patents and has a publication record with dozens of publications across multiple disciplines.