If you aren't already familiar, I-Corps (formally, NSF Innovation Corps) is a program run by the National Science Foundation that aims, as they put it, to translate promising ideas and technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace. The program centers on customer and industry discovery so that founders can ascertain whether their idea has a commercial fit; a critical step for deep tech startups.
What is deep tech? NSF describes it as technology revolving around fundamental discoveries in science and engineering. Scientists and engineers are not typically trained to assess the commercial potential of their discoveries, and the I-Corps program aims to close that knowledge gap for motivated inventors and mitigate the financial risk of taking these investigative steps.
I-Corps programming is provided by various "nodes" which are innovation centers that support and enrich the program. Due to our campus' geography, we are closely integrated into the Los Angeles Innovation Node (we've also heard great things about the Bay area node).
Join an info session to be further oriented in the program, then join a ZAP! Training Session to begin learning Lean Startup methodology and techniques for customer discovery, such as field interviews.
Info Session -- Tuesday, January 5
Send an RSVP for meeting details and use this link to join:
ZAP! Training Session -- Friday, January 8; Friday, January 15
Sign up here.