SparkTank

SparkTank is geared toward faculty and graduate student innovators who are starting out on their commercialization journey. Participants will discuss their preliminary product concepts, hypothetical customer segments, and market(s) and business theses with a group of Quadrant-i Principals in a low-key and supportive coaching session. SparkTank will be especially useful in helping innovators explore beachhead markets for their platform technologies. Participants will come away with a better understanding of available resources to assist in determining product-market fit and put them on a trajectory to compete for commercialization funding.

Applications are accepted year-round with the assistance of a Quadrant-i Principal. If interested, please contact us:

StoryTelling

StoryTelling is a program that teaches entrepreneurs how to effectively communicate their innovations to both investors and customers. By creating emotionally compelling and engaging pitches that simply convey the current market pain and business challenge, product-market fit, value-proposition, go-to-market strategy and manufacturing/service scaling founders will learn how to build and evolve a story that both excites the listener and inspire confidence in the team. Programs last for n weeks, and the skills are frequently tested and refreshed by Quadrant-i Principals.

Applications are accepted year-round with the assistance of a Quadrant-i Principal. If interested, please contact us:

Entrepreneurship Assistant Program

This 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.

EA positions may be paid subject to availability of funding through various grant programs, such as GRA, government grants, and other funding sources.

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 Lauren Flamer.

Biolocity

The Biolocity program is a commercialization of early-stage medical technologies with intellectual property held at Emory University and/or Georgia Institute of Technology. It consists of an educational component focused on life science commercialization, a competitive grant funding mechanism, and active project management assistance.

Georgia Research Alliance

GRA’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E) program 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:

Startup Launch

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 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, 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.

Creations VC Space Fellows

Quadrant-i under the auspices of Creations VC have created the Quadrant-i Space Fellows program. For three years, starting Fall 2025, Quadrant-i will select several promising innovations that are either space-focused or ‘space-adjacent’ and have high potential for rapid TRL progression. Those teams will be provided specific coaching and guidance from Quadrant-i Principals in collaboration with Creations VC and Georgia Tech’s Space Research Institute.

For information regarding the Space Fellow program:

SBIR/STTR

Once projects have progressed and need to transition to more a commercially focused stage, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs provide more significant non-dilutive resources to enable startups to move their innovations to market. Many federal agencies set aside funds to encourage small businesses to engage in research and development (R&D) with the potential for commercialization. These programs are staged (Phase I, II & III) and requires an incorporated entity with at least one fulltime employee (51% FTE). Unlike SBIR, STTR requires a formal partnership between a small business and a U.S. research institution, such as a university or a Federally Funded Research and Development Center (FFRDC). For more information on application rules, please go here: https://atdc.org/sbir-sttr/

Interested in SBIR/STTR funding? For assistance with SBIR/STTR funding applications or to learn more, please contact us: