UC Davis Venture Catalyst logo

Through the Technology Management & Corporate Relations (TMCR) division of the Office of Research, UC Davis provides services and resources that support innovative researchers and university startups. Services and support are delivered through Venture Catalyst, one of three units – including the IP and licensing office (InnovationAccess) and the Office of Corporate Relations – under the leadership of the Associate Vice Chancellor of Research, TMCR. Venture Catalyst has a campus-wide mission focused on providing support, infrastructure and funding to assist university researchers representing all disciplines and technologies in creating well structured, effectively networked and efficiently resourced new ventures. Venture Catalyst collaborates closely with the University’s Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE) within its Graduate School of Management and with focused drivers of translational research like the Engineering Student Startup Center within the College of Engineering, the World Food Center within the College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences, and the Clinical & Translational Science Center at the School of Medicine. Venture Catalyst services include the STAIR™ (Science Translation and Innovative Research) proof-of-concept grants and the Smart Toolkit of Accelerated Research Translation (START™) service-suite which includes programs and directed services for university startups. These include: incorporation and legal support (LegalNet™); a network of experienced industry mentors (MentorNet™) and service providers (VentureNet™); grant writing workshops, market research and pitch coaching; co-sponsorship of Entrepreneurship Academies with IIE; and access to the Venture Catalyst DRIVE™ (Distributed Research Incubation and Venture Engine) program, which enables access to a network of thematically oriented business incubators both on-campus and off-campus.

www.tmcr.ucdavis.edu