The Innovation and Partnerships Office (IPO) seeks your support for a solution to a pressing technology transfer challenge – developing and scaling prototypes.
As you know, the ability to create, refine, and scale prototypes is critical to transitioning a technology from lab to market. However, prototype development and scaling is rarely funded by DOE programs and is often viewed as too risky for private funding from VCs and even angels.
IPO is working to secure DOE funding for a proposed two-part program to address this gap:
- ScaleSpace – a low-cost “makerspace for scientists” with office areas, wet labs, and scientific equipment (the equipment will depend on the selected teams and what is available in the community); and
- The Momentum Fund – a modest fund to cover costs associated with creating, refining, and scaling prototypes, including researcher salaries, supplies, and facilities (e.g., ScaleSpace, Molecular Foundry, Advanced Biofuels Process Demonstration Unit).
If DOE funds this program, IPO will establish a process for selecting teams to access ScaleSpace, the Momentum Fund, or both.
IPO’s next step in making this program a reality is to demonstrate to DOE how important it is. ScaleSpace and the Momentum Fund won’t happen without your support.
Please help us by answering the five-question survey linked below by cob this Friday (September 30). The survey includes a check box that gives IPO permission to include your name and response data in our proposal to DOE. Even if you don’t have a technology to prototype now, we still need your input.
Please show your support as IPO works to make the program a reality.
Feel free to call or email IPO’s point of contact for this effort, Russell Carrington (krcarrington@lbl.gov and 510-486-6439), if you want to talk more about how this approach could work for your technology.