Daugherty Endowment
The Daugherty Endowment Fund provides early-stage NC State startups with grant funding to address critical business needs.
Boosting Research-Based Startups
The Richard L. and Marlene V. Daugherty Centennial Campus Entrepreneurial Endowment honors retired IBM executive Richard “Dick” Daugherty, who ran the company’s Research Triangle Park area operations for 23 years, and his wife, Marlene.
Daugherty is a trustee of the Kenan Institute at NC State and a board member for the university’s Entrepreneurship Initiative. He also served as director of the Centennial Campus Partnership Office.
Award Overview
The Daugherty Endowment Challenge allows startup companies who have licensed NC State intellectual property in the previous three years the opportunity to compete for prize money in an annual business plan competition.
A two-page executive summary is required for the first round of the competition, and select finalists submit a five-page business plan before pitching their company to the Daugherty Endowment Governance Board. The Board selects the top three companies for funding each year.
Award Amounts
$25,000
First Place Company
$15,000
Second Place Company
$10,000
Third Place Company
Company Eligibility
Only NC State startup companies that have licensed NC State-owned intellectual property within the last three years are eligible to apply. Previous Daugherty Endowment winners are also not eligible to reapply for the annual competition.
Fund Impact
$71.8 million in follow-on funding
generated by Daugherty Endowment awardees
59
companies supported
$688,847
in funds awarded
72%
companies still active
