For some inventors, the desired path to market and impact may be to form a company. The Technology Development office can help you determine if a start-up is right for you given your objective and constraints, and then assist the invention team with customer discovery, IP strategy, finding funding, and more.
Getting Started
Before you begin, we always recommend defining your objective and assessing market need to determine if a start-up is your best path forward. There are several ways to get started:
- Contact Technology Development to schedule a consultation. Together, we can help you consider a range of factors to determine if a start-up is the best path forward, including your objective, market demand, funding potential, and more.
- Do your research. Engaging in customer discovery will help you understand how your specific market operates and how your company and technology will fit into it. We offer programs for getting started, and can also help you set up meetings with industry experts in your field, potential investors, and potential customers.
Next Steps
If you decide to move forward, here are some of the steps you may take on the road to creating a start-up:
- Protect your intellectual property. You may work with the Technology Development office to file a patent application for the invention.
- Take a step-wise approach to building your business case. This typically includes some combination of the following: a company description and objective statement; business model and market analysis; an IP plan and documents; management and operational structure; marketing, financial, and sales plans; and proof of concept. Visit Business 101 for Faculty for foundational resources on business planning.
Sample Plan
Download our self-guided training on the Four Steps to Starting a Company.
Or download this Excel document if you would like a detailed set of actions to refer to as you consider your next steps:
Download in Excel
Contact OTD
| Life Sciences | Nevena Dimova, Business Development | ndimova@bu.edu or 617-353-4567 |
| Life Sciences | Thomas McMurry, Business Development | tmcmurry@bu.edu or 617-358-4550 |
| Medical Technology | Frances Forrester, Business Development | fmf@bu.edu or 617-358-6911 |
| Engineering & Physical Sciences | Misty Farrell-Pennington, Business Development | mfpenn@bu.edu or 617-358-3795 |
| General Entrepreneurship | Rana K. Gupta, Faculty Entrepreneurship | rkgupta@bu.edu or 617-353-0606 |
| Other | Mike Pratt, Managing Director | mpratt@bu.edu or 617-353-4569 |
