|
 |
UND Center for Innovation
University of North Dakota
COE Funds Distributed: $0
Total Match: $3.5 million
Funded: October 2003
|
Purpose
TheUND Center for Innovation supports North Dakota entrepreneurs by assisting in the launch of new ventures, commercialization of new technologies and securing access to capital from private and public sources. In 2003, the Legislature allocated $800,000 to support the Entrepreneur Center at the Center for Innovation.
The Center for Innovation's vision and mission is to maintain national leadership in entrepreneur outreach and education, and become the leader in tech entrepreneurship in rural America. Its goals are to:
- Grow entrepreneur ventures
- Foster Innovation
- Secure access to entrepreneur capital
- Provide superb entrepreneur infrastructure
- Provide world-class entrepreneur education with the UND Entrepreneur Program
|
Project Highlights
- The Center has been ranked number nine out of 900 entrepreneurship programs in the nation in 2007 by Entrepreneur Magazine and Princeton Review and has received five National Awards for Excellence in innovation and entrepreneurship.
- The Center is one of ten incubators worldwide designated as a "Soft Landings International Incubator" by the National Association of Business Incubators because of assistance to companies expanding internationally.
- The Center hosts the Dakota Venture Group, the nation's first student-run venture fund which has a triple-bottom line function of investment return, entrepreneur finance education for students, and funding new ventures in North Dakota including syndication with angel investors.
- The Center has created the development of angel funds around the state engaging more than 70 angel investors.
|
|
 |
 |
