University of Kansas Entrepreneurs@KU Part of the mission of the University of Kansas (KU) includes growing economic prosperity including building healthy communities. KU is committed to turning discoveries into jobs and companies and by serving as a draw for businesses. KU Innovation & Collaboration (KUIC) has convened the entrepreneurial drivers on campus, creating a partnership with the School of Business and the regional incubator system partner (BTBC). Entrepreneurs@KU was launched as a transparent and supportive infrastructure to assist faculty and staff in starting companies. This infrastructure includes educational opportunities to develop and improve business models (Startup School @KU and iCorp@KU); proof of concept funding to simultaneously improve upon the technology while still inside the university; generous and transparent licensing terms (Swift Startup License); and SBIR / STTR Assistance program to help monetize newly formed companies. The Entrepreneurs@KU infrastructure brings down barriers and provides a process-oriented path for KU faculty, fellows, and staff founders to analyze their business ideas, empowering them to bring their ideas to life and build viable ventures in Kansas. Julie Nagel, Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Research

1. UEDA Awards of Excellence
September 2015

2. • We have a problem…
• Identification of assets
• Building collaborations
• Development of a solution
ENTREPRENEURS@KU

3. HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM…
• Mandate from KU Strategic Plan
“Promote active entrepreneurship and vibrant external partnerships”
• BUT only a few startup companies per year
• What are the barriers??
– Faculty interest?
– Lack of knowledge?
– Too many hurdles?

4. ARE FACULTY THE PROBLEM?
• Two Companies Formed in
2015
• 11 additional companies
incorporated
– Pending a license
– Wait and See Mode
• Faculty Interest NOT the
Problem

5. WHAT ARE THE BARRIERS?
• Ask the faculty!
– Too many people “helping”
– What is a license??
– What is a business plan??
– How much is that fee??

6. THE PROBLEM IS US…

7. ASSETS IN PLACE
School
Business
BTBC
KUIC

8. ENTREPRENEURS@KU
• Startup School@KU
• iCorp @KU
• Swift Startup License
• SBIR/STTR Assistance Program
Transparent and supportive infrastructure to assist faculty
and staff in starting companies.

9. STARTUP SCHOOL@KU
• Goal: accelerate the startup process
and increase chances of success.
• Format: 3– 3 hr sessions based on
the lean startup model
• End deliverable: POC application
– Leverage existing program
– Develop idea inside KU while further
developing the business concept
• Collaboration: KU School of
Business – Curriculum, Teaching
• Mentors for each team
• Held each semester

10. ICORP@KU
• Goal: Prepare researchers on How to
Start a Company leveraging iCorp
• Team Based Approach
– Principal investigator
– Entrepreneurial lead
– Mentors
• Collaboration: School of Business,
Alumni Association
• Format: Flipped classroom
• Customer Discovery: industry
engagement; talking to customers,
partners, and competitors;
• Launch – Spring 2016

11. SWIFT STARTUP LICENSE
• What: Simple, ready-to-use license agreement for
KU start-up companies
• Goal: Stimulate creation of new KU companies
through the provision of transparent licensing term
• Terms:
– back-end loaded deal structure
– no upfront payments
– no past patent costs (up to $20K)
– no annual minimum fees
– no minimum royalties
– Single, low flat patent royalty rate
– Success fee at the time of an exit/liquidation
event.
• Eligibility
– Complete the iCorp@KU program
– Faculty company founder

12. SBIR/STTR ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
• Launched February 2015
• Training
– February – NSF; May – NIH
– 66 Registered
• 24 Departments/Centers
• 12 Startup companies
• Assistance
– Up to $3,000 in consulting time
– 12 faculty/companies in assistance
program
• Submissions/Awards
– Six submitted Aug 5
– One awarded (Navy SBIR – UAV Radars)
• September – DoD (registration open)

13. HOW CAN WE GROW?
• Impact
– Talent Retention
– Culture
• Commercialization Potential
• Sustainability
– Collaborations
– Long term exits
• Replicability/Scalability
– Medical Center – CTSA Partnership
– Edwards Campus
– Students

14. KUIC TEAM
Julie Seward Nagel, PhD
jrnagel@ku.edu
785.864.9004
www.kuic.ku.edu