entrepreneur pitching an idea to investors

Georgia Research Alliance

GRA supports university-based spinouts through grants and loans, collaborating with the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Economic Development. Key offerings include:

  • Phase 1 Grants: $50k to help researchers reduce IP, market, and technical risks.
  • Phase 2 Grants: $100k to further prepare projects for commercialization.
  • Phase 3 Loans: Up to $250k for launched spinout companies.

Applications are accepted year-round with the assistance of a Quadrant-i Principal.

Interested in GRA funding? For assistance with GRA funding applications or to learn more, please contact us.

scientists meeting in a lab

I-CORPS

The National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) Founded in 2011, the NSF I-Corps program is designed to improve the quality of startups from NSF-funded research and to educate researchers on commercialization. Georgia Tech is the hub for I-Corps South, one of thirteen regional centers.

Program Highlights:

  • Grant and Training: Offers a $50,000 grant and a six-week customer discovery boot camp.
  • Team Requirements: Applications must include a Technical Lead (usually a professor or senior researcher), an Entrepreneurial Lead (typically a graduate student), and a volunteer Industry Mentor.
  • Application Process: Submit a one-page application, participate in brief calls with program managers, and expect a decision within a few weeks

Cohort Schedule: New cohorts start quarterly: January, April, July, and October. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Check NSF’s FAQs and VentureLab’s tips for additional details.

For application guidance contact us.

student working with researcher

Entrepreneurship Assistant Program

This paid opportunity allows students to work with research teams to explore practical applications for innovations through customer discovery. Entrepreneurship Assistants (EAs) turn research into marketable products throughout the semester. Applications usually open late in the previous semester.

EAs will:

  • Develop entrepreneurial skills and learn startup methodologies.
  • Engage and build networks with industry professionals through customer discovery interviews.
  • Participate in weekly check-ins and present findings.

Commitment:

  • 10-15 hours per week, ensuring total work does not exceed 20 hours per week.

  • Applications are ongoing until the process closes.

    For more details, contact Jonathan Goldman.

Female entrepreneur conducting business on cell phone

CREATE-X

CREATE-X offers a suite of programs for undergraduate students eager to build a strong startup foundation through evidence-based entrepreneurship. This includes the Female Founders Program, tailored to support women entrepreneurs.

  • Startup Lab: A for-credit course teaching students to systematically evaluate ideas and confirm market demand.
  • Idea 2 Prototype (I2P): Another for-credit course providing faculty mentorship, guidance, and seed funding to create functional prototypes.

The pinnacle of CREATE-X is the Startup Launch, an 11-week summer program that guides teams from developed ideas or prototypes to fully launched startups. Participants from Quadrant-i receive $10,000 in funding for customer discovery and MVP development, coaching support, and are well-placed to access further I-Corps and GRA grants post-program. Though Quadrant-i mainly assists graduate students with Tech-owned inventions, it actively supports and guides CREATE-X teams beyond the program. 

To apply to Startup Launch, please click here.

Startup founder shaking hands with an investor

Venture Fellows

Venture Fellows are key community recruits who boost the success of Quadrant-i spinouts. With deep market knowledge and startup experience, these financially independent volunteers dedicate 5-10 hours weekly to support startup development in areas like maturation, team-building, and fundraising. While VFs are uncompensated except for potential future equity, travel expenses for customer discovery are covered. Interested in becoming a Quadrant-i VF? Please contact us.

Students participate in CRIDC

CRIDC

The annual Career, Research, Innovation and Development Conference is hosted by the Graduate Student Government Association and Graduate Career Development and Center for Enhancement of Teaching and Learning. Graduate students can attend panel discussions on a range of career-focused topics. A poster competition with travel grant prizes is a highlight of the program.

Quadrant-i sponsors the CRIDC Innovation Competition, in which graduate students give presentations making the case for the commercial potential of their work as they compete for $2000 travel grants.

candidates to present their thesis

3Minute Thesis

The 3MT program challenges Ph.D. candidates to present their thesis work to a non-specialist audience in three minutes—with only a single, static slide and their presentation skills to help them! The international competition, which originated at the University of Queensland, was offered for the first time at Georgia Tech in 2015. Participants get workshops and one-on-one coaching from the staff of Tech’s Communications Center, and winners of the competition receive travel grants up to $2000.

Quadrant-i is pleased to support 3MT, as the ability to communicate complex topics clearly is critical to success for cutting-edge, research-based startups.