UO Innovation Initiative: The UO Innovation Initiative fosters a community of partners and serves as a hub of resources and activities. The initiative bolsters research commercialization, enhances entrepreneurship in Oregon, and propels the work of students, faculty, and staff into the world.

Provost's Mentoring Initiative: This initiative bundles mentoring resources for programs across campus.

NSF I-Corps Method: NSF I-Corps Method trains faculty, researchers, and students in commercializing university research, while building the connective tissue for deeper, more impactful public-private networks. Through free online classes offered monthly, teams learn the basics of customer discovery and apply them immediately to “get out of the building” and interview 15 potential customers. Eligible teams may then apply to the National I-Corps program that includes a $50,000 grant for customer discovery activities.

UO Innovation Initiative Listserv: The UO Innovation Initiative hosts a number of events across campus for faculty and entrepreneurs. Join the mailing list or attend an upcoming event. 

Oregon Consulting Group: This student-run consulting agency offers research, analysis, insights, strategies, and business plans at a fraction of the cost of a traditional consultant.

Lundquist Center for Entrepreneurship: LCE trains the next generation of entrepreneurs by combining a solid foundation of business theory with experiential learning. These students can work with university startups to provide market analysis and business strategy support. 

Onward Eugene: Onward Eugene is a community organization supporting prosperity for all through their programs that advocate for and support entrepreneurship and local businesses in the Eugene community. They offer business programs, mentoring, and leadership development.

Oregon RAIN: Oregon RAIN partners with communities to catalyze ecosystems, connect entrepreneurs to resources, and contribute to the creation of prosperity. Oregon RAIN offers training programs and mentoring for entrepreneurs.

Creative Destruction Lab - Vancouver: CDL is an objective-based mentorship program that supports participating ventures in accelerating their trajectory as they work to scale ambitious tech-based businesses. Over a period of nine months, participating ventures attend five full-day Sessions during which CDL Mentors – a collective of leading entrepreneurs, experienced operators and subject matter experts – help to set three objectives for ventures to prioritize over the following eight weeks.

Portland Incubator Experiment: Portland Incubator Experiment — known more commonly as PIE — has become an ongoing experiment designed to enable established organizations — corporations, government, and educational institutions, among others — to more effectively collaborate with startup communities in mutually beneficial ways. Throughout its history, PIE has served as a curated co-working space, a community event space, a startup accelerator, a flashpoint for corporate innovation, an accelerator for accelerators, and a home-away-from-home for startup types.

Oregon Business and Industry: OBI is recognized statewide as a leader in policy development, and our entire team works tirelessly to ensure members’ voices are heard in important policy discussions that will impact Oregon businesses.

Translational Opportunity Fund: The Translational Opportunity Fund grant program provides funds to UO innovators for services, tools and other resources needed to successfully translate their research and launch new UO research-based startup companies. The three funding tiers of the program align with different stages in the innovation and company spinout trajectory.

Business Growth Loans: Business Growth Loans are accessible for new and existing businesses and nonprofits in Eugene through the federal Community Development Block Grant program. This fund was established to create jobs while stimulating private sector investment. These loans help organizations grow, evolve or stabilize by addressing credit barriers and providing flexible financing options.

Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute (ONAMI): ONAMI has shepherded technological breakthroughs from the lab to the marketplace. They offer numerous events and early-stage investment opportunities.

Business Oregon Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR): Business Oregon offers a support program that complements the federal program to help Oregon companies that are pursuing or have received these federal grants.

VertueLab: VertueLab is a nonprofit fighting climate change by providing funding and holistic entrepreneurial support to climate tech startups. VertueLab offers training programs and assistance in applying for federal funding.

Clean Tech Fundraising: This spreadsheet lists possible funding sources for startups focusing on clean tech. Sources include venture capital and grant opportunities. This list was compiled by Tanya Barham, CEO and founder of Community Energy Labs, and shared with VertueLab. Shared here with permission.

Small Business Innovation Research / Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR): This federal funding program enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization.

Oregon Entrepreneurship Network: OEN helps entrepreneurs start up and scale up by connecting them to peers and mentors, startup funding opportunities, and hands-on training. 

Chemical Angels Network: The Chemical Angel Network serves the qualified angel investor by sourcing and presenting quality investment opportunities. Its mission is to provide financial capital and experienced mentorship to seed stage chemical companies.

Portland Seed Fund: The Portland Seed Fund is a top-performing early-stage venture fund focused on investments in Portland the Pacific Northwest.

Rogue Venture Partners: Rogue Venture Partners provides early-stage funding for technology companies.

Cascade Investment Fund: The Cascade Investment Fund focuses on direct equity investments in sectors with long-term growth prospects.

Elevate Capital: Elevate Capital offers seed funding focused on early-stage investments and particularly in companies led by women, minorities, and veterans.

Oregon Venture Fund: The Oregon Venture Fund connects ambitious entrepreneurs with expertise and capital. They invest as much as $4M+ or as little as $500k in four to seven companies per year.

Voyager Capital: Voyager has over $520 million under management in B2B, early-stage venture capital. They focus on software, cloud, and big data applications.