Entrepreneurs
Aspiring entrepreneurs and those interested in commercializing technologies can use the INVO site to learn about available Northwestern and non-Northwestern resources.
For a high-level roadmap to the process of starting a technology company see our Startup Guide.
Mentorship and training
INVO can connect you with a mentor (or a group of mentors) that will be able to offer qualified advice and help open the necessary doors. See a list of Northwestern resources and area networks that offer guidance.
Our training for entrepreneurs also includes commercialization clinics and seminars on a variety of topics. Learn more about these events.
Lab and co-working space and Facilities
A variety of spaces are open to members of the Northwestern community, including INVOHub, The Garage, Northwestern at 1871, and Segal Prototyping and Fabrication Lab, among others.
Financial and legal assistance
In addition to funding from government grants and business plan competitions, Northwestern offers several funds to entrepreneurs who are in the early stages of commercialization:
- N.XT fund, designed to promote early stage technologies to the next stages of commercialization
- NUseeds fund, designed to support and accelerate business development for early stage start-ups. For more information, visit the NUseeds website
Legal assistance:
Agreement templates and forms
INVO executes agreements that range from CDAs to license agreements. Access the templates and forms we use:
- Confidentiality Agreement template
- Mutual Confidentiality Agreement template
- Software Digital Startup License Agreement
- Therapeutics Startup License Agreement
- Material Transfer Agreement (MTA) information is available on the Office for Sponsored Research (OSR) website