I-Corps participants will gain:

• Entrepreneurial Training and Support from Industry Experts
• Experiential Market & Customer Research Skills
• Mentorship Connections
• Access to NSF Resources

I-Corps @ NC State Impact

“If you want to meet a diverse group of mentors and instructors to inform you about the paths of your technology to the market, don’t miss the opportunity of attending I-Corps.” – Fall 2019 participant

“Scientists-turned-entrepreneurs can really benefit from the instruction, discipline and feedback of the program because customer discovery is crucial and easy to procrastinate.” – Fall 2019 participant

“If you have an idea for a product or service, this program will help you flesh it out and determine viability.” – Spring 2019 participant

“I didn’t realize what I was learning until looking back. It did change my perspective on our product and its benefit. I would take the class early in the commercialization process.” – Fall 2018 participant

What To Expect?

I-Corps @ NC State is a four-session course is aimed at arriving at a “go” or “no-go” team decision on whether to pursue commercialization of a technology.

Teams will receive instruction on performing customer discovery and market research at the beginning of the course and will then perform customer interviews each week. Each team will present on their interview findings at the weekly meetings.

• Expectations:
  • At least one team member is expected to attend all program events.
  • Teams are expected to commit to engaging in market research, customer discovery and other commercialization-focused activities outside of class.
  • Teams should complete at least 20 customer interviews by the end of the program.
• Typical Team Composition: 
  • Academic Lead – faculty member or co-inventor designated by faculty member. Expect to give 6 hours per week.
  • Entrepreneurial Lead – typically a graduate student or postdoc working in the Academic Lead’s research program (teams may have more than one Entrepreneurial Lead if desired). Expect to give up to 10 hours per week.
  • Mentor – someone with business and/or industry experience or experience coaching teams. Expect to give 2 hours per week.
  • You can apply even if you do not have a person to fill each role!
• Program Benefits:
  • Training and guidance on how to interview potential customers and end users of your technology
  • Access to knowledgeable mentors who will provide you with domain and business expertise
  • Become members of the NSF’s National Innovation Network and be able to claim NSF legacy funding
  • Receive guidance in obtaining additional research and development funding, including the national NSF I-Corps Teams program, SBIR/STTR grants, regional accelerator programs and external funding opportunities

Application Process

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. After submitting an application, a member of our team will contact you within one week to meet with you to discuss your application, the program format and expectations, and your team’s suitability for the program. If accepted, your team will be placed in the next available cohort.

Program Dates: Fall 2022*

• Application Period: applications accepted until Friday, August 19th at 11:59 PM
• Selected Teams Notified: Monday, August 29th
• Cohort Kickoff Mixer: Thursday, September 8th, 5:30 PM – 7:30 PM
• Class 0: Tuesday, October 4th, 9:30 AM – 11:30 AM
• Class 1: Tuesday, October 18th, 9 AM – 1 PM
• Class 2: Tuesday, November 1st, 9 AM – 1 PM
• Class 3: Tuesday, November 15th, 9 AM – 1 PM

*All sessions this cohort will be held in-person on NC State’s campus

Apply Now!

FAQ

• Can our team have more than one entrepreneurial lead or academic lead?
  • Yes.
• I am interested in participating but do not yet have a 3-person team. Can you help?
  • Yes, I-Corps @ NC State team will work with you to help identify potential team members. Please indicate this is desired when completing the application.
• The technology I am interested in was not funded by the NSF. Can I still participate?
  • Yes. Also, by completing in the NC State I-Corps program, you will establish an NSF funding lineage for your project, making it eligible for other sources of commercialization-focused funding from the NSF.