Startup Resources
OHSU startup resources
The Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) Program offers OHSU inventors and entrepreneurs opportunities to receive one-on-one mentoring with seasoned business executives. The purpose of this program is to provide OHSU researchers with advice about commercialization and startup processes and paths.
EIRs have a wealth of experience in facilitating the development of innovative ideas, new venture development and advising innovators in the life sciences industry. You can learn more about each of our EIR's by visiting the EIR webpage.
The Innovation Development and Entrepreneurship Acceleration (IDEA) Fund provides funding for OHSU startup companies to help bridge the early-stage funding gap often experienced by entrepreneurs.
- The award is to be used as seed funds and SBIR/STTR matching funds for OHSU startups.
-
Startup support is open to companies whose formation was dependent on the licensing of OHSU’s technology. These startups can apply for funding under 2 options: 1) up to $15,000 in seed funding for new startups 2) up to $15,000 in SBIR or STTR grant matching support for each award received.
*OHSU startups interested in startup support have a separate application process they must follow. To apply, submit the application form and all required materials to oce@ohsu.edu. There are no deadlines for submission.
You can read more about other funding programs under the IDEA fund by visiting the OHSU Innovates Commercialization Grants and Funding Opportunities page.
Sponsored by the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute (OCTRI) and Business Oregon, the Phase 0/00 program is designed to help small life science and healthcare-related businesses in Oregon access funding through the federal SBIR and STTR programs.
The Phase 0/00 program provides up to $5,000, to be used for SBIR/STTR application support services, including written critiques of Phase I, Phase II (Phase 00), or fast-track proposals, grant writing assistance, and additional services that help increase the competitiveness of the application. Prior approval of reviewers and support services is required from Business Oregon and OCTRI. For more information, download the RFA here, or contact Jonathan Jubera.
Increase your SBIR/STTR application's competitiveness with this proposal development resource. OHSU Investigators receive free advice and feedback from a panel of SBIR/STTR experts on your commercialization strategy and opportunity, research approach, feasibility assessment and overall readiness, among other critical review components. Download the program fact sheet or contact Melissa Mudd.
OHSU has a number of policies that are relevant to starting an OHSU startup company, including information defining intellectual property, creators and ownership, and policies regarding outside activities and conflicts of interest for OHSU members.
OHSU Startup Companies Policy describes Conflict of Interest (CoI) policy regarding OHSU Members' roles in OHSU Startup Companies.
Intellectual Property and Royalty Distribution Policy No. 04-50-001 defines the policy for distributing licensing revenue to OHSU inventors and departments.
Conflicts of Interest & Commitment Policy No. 10-01-020 describes guidelines for outside activities for OHSU members.
Regional entrepreneur organizations
Business Oregon - The state’s economic development agency, which invests in Oregon businesses, communities and people to promote a globally competitive, diverse and inclusive economy.
Oregon Small Business Development Center Network - Provides advising, training, online courses, and resources for businesses throughout the state.
Mercy Corp Northwest - Provides vital financing, mentorship and education to small business owners across the Pacific Northwest. Hosts the only Women’s Business Center in the state of Oregon.
Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon (MESO) - A small business service provider offering lending and savings programs, technical assistance, business education and planning, marketing and accounting to support underserved communities in Oregon and SW Washington.
Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME) - A non-profit, tax-exempt organization with a mission to promote to promote and develop entrepreneurship and economic development for ethnic minorities in Oregon and SW Washington.
SCORE Portland- A nonprofit organization that has volunteers mentors to available to serve small businesses.
Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute (OTRADI) - operates Oregon’s only nonprofit collaborative bioscience discovery laboratory as well as the state’s first and only bioscience-specific incubator, Oregon Bioscience Incubator.
Portland State Business Accelerator- Supports and serves tech, bioscience, and green companies from their early stage through growth by providing facilities, programming, and mentors.
Oregon Startup Center (OSC) - A non-profit incubator that provides mentoring, flexible office space, workshops, networking, and more.
Portland Incubator Experiment (PIE) - A program predicated on providing founders with access to mentorship and networks they need to be successful.
Starve Ups – A highly focused and committed peer-to-peer mentoring scalerator that takes companies through all stages of growth.
Oregon Bioscience Association (OBA) - A member trade organization that supports the regional bioscience organization through networking, workforce development, educational programs, enterprise support, advocacy, and promotion of research collaborations.
Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI) - Oregon’s first “signature research center” dedicated to commercializing scientific research into new Oregon companies.
Oregon Entrepreneurs Network (OEN) - Helps entrepreneurs startup and scale up by connecting them to peers and mentors, startup funding opportunities, and hands-on training.
Technology Association of Oregon (TAO) - A regional tech industry non-profit organization that helps companies of all sizes grow their business, expand their networks, and increase their regional impact through advocacy, networking opportunities, marketing campaigns, and resources.
TIE Oregon - A nonprofit venture devoted to entrepreneurs at all stages of their lifecycle with foundation programs in mentoring, networking, education, funding, and incubation.
BESThq - Provides a purposeful business community with a focus on servant leadership and support of small and historically underutilized entrepreneurs.
Startup education and tools
Kaufman Foundation FastTrac - An immersive course designed to provide information, tips, exercises, and tools to help you think about your business idea.
Entrepreneurship for Life Sciences and Healthcare Startups- A global online class from UCSF that provides information and resources to help you explore life sciences and healthcare innovation.
University Lab Partners Resource Center - An extensive library of articles, videos, and tools for life science innovators.
Techstars Entrepreneur’s toolkit - An online educational resource to help you understand the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.
SCORE library - Provides resources to help you make decisions on starting or growing your company.
Y Combinator Library - A collection of videos, podcasts, and essays for startup founders.
SciEducate - Provides science and business education that you can learn at your own pace.
Startup Checklist from OHSU Collaborations and Entrepreneurship.
Oregon Secretary of State - Information on business registration, fees, etc. in the state of Oregon.
Business xpress - Information on licenses, permits, registrations, requirements, and other information for starting and operating a business in the state of Oregon.
State of Delaware Division of Corporations - Services, information, and forms to incorporate in the state of Delaware.
Business structure information from the Small Business Administration.
10 steps to starting a business from the Small Business Administration.
Estimate the funding you need to start your company with a Startup Costs Calculator from OHSU Collaborations and Entrepreneurship.
Introductory videos to small business legal requirements from the Small Business Administration.
OHSU Business Planning System - a business planning method based on Lean Canvas that helps outline key assumptions of your business idea to turn it into a more concrete business model.
Developing a Business Model from MaRS
Lean Startup approach to startup development
Suggestions on writing a Commercialization Plan for NIH SBIR/STTR applicants
An interactive Business Plan template from the US Small Business Administration
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) - provides a range of databases on the healthcare system
Healthcare Data from the US Department of Health and Human Services.
CDC Wonder - access to a variety of reports and public health data from the Center of Disease Control and Prevention.
Plunkett’s Biotech, Pharmaceuticals & Genetics Industry Almanac
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) - Industry profiles and reports.
EDGAR Database- Contains corporate and financial reports from publicly listed or traded companies filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
Ward's Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies - Provides updated company and industry profiles.
"Navigating the FDA website" webinar from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
"First Contact with FDA" webinar from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
FDA 101: An Overview of FDA's regulatory review and research activities.
Life Sciences Regulatory Outlook report from Deloitte
Information on hiring and managing employees - from the Small Business Administration
Building a Scientific Advisory Board- blog from Silicon Valley Bank
Building a Startup Board - webinar from Kauffman Entrepreneurs
Introduction
"Entrepreneurial sources of capital" webinar from National Institute of Health
Life Science Fundraising guide from BREX and BIO
Selected sources of capital
SBIR matching and support grants from Business Oregon
Foundation Directory Online - a database to search for U.S. Foundations
Pitchbook report on Venture Capitalists in Oregon
Crunchbase - a database to help you find active investors in your space
Pitchbook - a venture capital, private equity and M&A database
Getting ready to raise dilutive capital
Recommendations on building a biotech investor pitch deck from Pitstop
How to create an investor pitch deck from Silicon Valley Bank
Executive Summary template from OHSU Collaborations and Entrepreneurship
Venture Financing Overview from Fenwick & West LLP
Introduction to cap tables, a list of your company's securities, from Cooley GO
Captable.io - a free, equity management software
Due diligence checklist examples from U.S. Chamber of Commerce
The federal government offers two highly competitive seed grants to support innovation and technology development for eligible small businesses in the U.S. : Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR). Eleven federal agencies participate in the program, including the National Institutes for Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and the Department of Defense (DoD). These programs can provide significant non-dilutive funding for early-stage technology development, with the ultimate goal of commercialization. To that end, the SBIR/STTR program encourages and rewards collaboration, and provides a number of educational resources for entrepreneurs. Important differences distinguish the SBIR and STTR programs from one another. While both grants must be awarded to a small business entity, the STTR program requires collaborative research with a nonprofit organization, like a university. Both programs require a certain percentage of work to be completed by the small business, but that percentage is higher within the SBIR program. Application deadlines vary among the federal agencies. NIH deadlines are typically January 5th, April 5th, and September 5th of each year. Caution: always refer to the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) provided by the federal agency to confirm the application deadline. As SBIR/STTR grants are unique from other federal funding sources, C&E recommends that you review the following resources and connect with C&E staff for support.
Grant writing and support services
Educational resources
Webinars
Obtaining Data Universal Numbering System and System for Awards Management numbers
You are required to obtain a DUNS number, a unique 9 digit identifier for businesses, and register on SAM, a federal government registration system, to receive federal funding. You can learn more about SAM and DUNS numbers at these websites.
Jordan, J.F. (2015). Innovation, commercialization and startups in Life Sciences (1st Ed). CRC Press.
Rose, D. and C. Patterson. (2016). Research to Revenue: A practical guide to university start-ups. The University of North Carolina Press.
Shimasaki, C.D. (2009). The Business of Bioscience: What goes into making a Biotechnology Product. (1st Ed). Springer.
Entrepreneur events
Throughout the year, there are many conferences and pitch events that provide opportunities to network and showcase your company. Below is just a sampling of the opportunities that are available. The dates provided are when the events are typically held, but please confirm the information on the event's website. Application deadlines to present at these events are often many months earlier.
January
JP Morgan Healthcare Conference
February
Biocom's Global Life Sciences Partnering Conference
Seattle Angel Conference
March
RESI South (Redefining Early Stage Investments)
April
Life Science Innovation Northwest
Startup Grind Global Conference
May
June
July
September
October
Regional networking events provide opportunities to meet local entrepreneurs and investors. Below is just a sampling of the opportunities that are available.
Accelerate Biotech and Digital Health IT PDX
This listing of service providers, organizations, resources, and tools are for informational purposes only. None of OHSU, OHSU Innovates nor any OHSU employee endorses, recommends, refers, or favors any of the organizations, persons or programs set forth above, or any product, goods, service, material or content referred to or included, or linked from or to above. No representation or guarantee is made by OHSU, C&E or any OHSU employee as to the correctness or suitability of the below information or any linked information presented, referenced, or implied. All information should be independently verified. In no event shall OHSU, OHSU Innovates or any OHSU employee be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such organization, person, program, product, goods, service, material or content.