THE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FELLOWS PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY BEING RE-DESIGNED AND WILL NOT BE ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS IN THE 2023-24 ACADEMIC YEAR. STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES IN AUTUMN 2024!
Business Development (BD) Fellows act as business leads for selected deep tech ventures participating in the Polsky Center’s Compass Accelerator, a six-month program. The goal at the conclusion of the Compass accelerator is that teams will be positioned to secure investment and/or first customers or partners. BD Fellows have the opportunity to gain experience in venture creation and entrepreneurship, lead a deep technology organization, and gain insights into science and technology industries. Fellows will collaborate closely with a founding scientific team who has created innovative technologies through their research at University of Chicago or the national labs and set forth a vision for the company. Fellows will lead business development efforts of these high potential technologies and engage with innovators and industry partners on behalf of the venture.
The responsibilities of Business Development Fellows include, but are not limited to:
- Lead the non-scientific aspects of launching a new business in collaboration with scientific team and Polsky staff.
- Work with a cross-disciplinary founding team in developing and validating a concrete business plan.
- Construct and implement go-to-market and funding plans with the support and guidance of the founding scientific team.
- Facilitate and initiate the startup’s engagement with mentors, industry partners, venture capital firms, and other ecosystem partners.
- Develop written materials to support the team in securing funding and establishing partnerships, including but not limited to an executive summary, pitch deck, and SBIR/STTR grant application materials