ASU Venture Catalyst

The Venture Catalyst is being launched by Arizona State University (ASU) to promote and accelerate firm formation and development through the provision of critical resources necessary for the success of new ventures. ASU aspires to make a positive global impact through integrating use-inspired research, education and entrepreneurship to leverage the unique personality and substantial assets of Arizona. The Catalyst combines previously separate programs ASU has been operating for the past seven years. Those programs—whether they have provided entrepreneurial training to Arizonans, launched new student ventures, attracted companies to SkySong, or helped faculty members spin out companies from ASU—have collectively served more than 1,200 entrepreneurs since 2003.

ASU faculty, students, and companies with ASU linkages from around the globe are served by the Venture Catalyst through its state-of-the-art venture services platform. The Catalyst provides company-tailored business services delivered through an integrated innovation system that helps each venture take the necessary steps to achieving its stated goals. The Catalyst uses its own personnel, as well as collaborators from its extensive network, to provide a full range of acceleration services.

Service delivery is customized for each venture. For example, a venture that needs additional market research may be connected with an interdisciplinary student clinic or with a consultant depending on delivery timelines or how much specific domain expertise is required. Venture Catalyst service offerings include:

• Entrepreneurial education
• Connections to mentors
• Capital formation assistance
• Intellectual property assessment
• Market research Access to ASU faculty researchers
• Student interns
• Employee workforce development
• On-line education programs
• And more...

The Catalyst also offers targeted events including SBIR/STTR workshops, conferences such as Invest Southwest and the SkySong Education Innovation Summit, as well as entrepreneurial boot camps for students. These events are complemented by a customized roadmap process that includes an assessment of how the Catalyst team can provide assistance to an individual company based on their objectives as well as the assets of the Catalyst staff and network.

ASU sits at the center of Arizona's innovation ecosystem with vast resources, talented faculty and students, and a commitment to accelerating global innovation. The Venture Catalyst is the next step in Arizona State University's (ASU) evolution of helping ventures find the intellectual capital to succeed.