Description

The Academic Innovators Congress 2014 covers topics such as:

Interactive Sessions
- Strategic partnership forum, find a partner company
- Q&A Panel: Your chance to pose questions to experts in the field. Panelists include representatives from the legal, financial, investor and academic sectors
- Ten minute pitches from newly formed or prospective companies to investor panel
Case Studies of Companies at Different Stages of Development
- Exit strategies
- Early startups, how to avoid pittfalls
- Transiting from a small to a medium sized business
Setting up a New Business
- How to select and recruit an effective management team
- How to negotiate and approach share holdings and licensing agreements
- What steps need to be taken when setting up a company?
- The role of business incubators
Obtaining Finance for Start-up Companies and Key Points to Consider when Developing a Business Plan
- Equity share and investors: How much is too much? Understand share options and avoid dilution
- Company valuation - how is this calculated, how not to under/oversell your comapny
- How important is early adopter and market validation?
- Funding options (i) Governmental and EU initiatives, (ii) business angels (iii) Venture funds: what are the advantages and disadvantages?
- Long term financial planning and investment strategies, getting your company to the next level
Technology Transfer and your Intellectual Property (Guest lectures from Patent Lawyers, Tech Transfer Specialists, Small Start-up and Investors)
- How do you make your technology / IP an attractive proposition for investment?
- How do you assess the commercial viability of your technology?
- To spin out or license out, what are the advantages and draw backs of these approaches?
- How do you maximize value of your IP for you and your institution?
- What steps are needed to undertake the conversion of good ideas into intellectual property?