2024 CCI+A (CATAPULT) Fund

The program will cover key aspects of investigating the commercialization phase and launching and funding a startup. The process features:

• A bootcamp-style program to rapidly move new technologies forward.
• Support for customer discovery efforts.
• Opportunities for cyber startups to engage with potential industry and government partners and D.C.-Maryland-Virginia and Commonwealth-based customers.
• Opportunities for customer engagement.
• Opportunities to bring university innovation to industry and government for feedback and collaboration.
• Industry and government collaboration opportunities for cyber faculty on technical work and product testing.
• Opportunities for training students to work in cyber startups (CCI + A awardees will have access to subsidized college interns at no cost).
• Cybersecurity-focused workshops, meetings and collider events with government agencies, industry, and investors.
• Opportunities to engage with seed and venture capital including an opportunity for exposure to investors and for potential prize money at Mason's annual Accelerate innovation competition.

CCl+A will leverage the knowledge base and experience of Mason’s comprehensive entrepreneurship support programs including the Mason Enterprise Centers, the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP) and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC). 

The program will provide mentorship from industry experts who have deep knowledge and experience in the cybersecurity and technology domains, resources, startup services (including free legal and business consulting), investment-based funding, access to rent-free physical space in the Digital Innovation Pilot facility on the Mason Square (Arlington) campus of Mason, if desired, and a set of educational programs for each cohort.

The CATAPULT Fund will help innovation teams pay for critical resources to advance development of their product, personnel, and time to test products, travel expenses, and participation in the CCI+A program. The program’s objective is to get initial market feedback, a critical first step in obtaining seed or angel funding.

Funds will be released in three installments. After the initial award of $10,000, two installments of $20,000 each will be predicated on the completion of 20+ customer interviews during the I-Corps program and the completion of an additional 20+ customer interviews between the end of the I-Corps program and the final pitch event.

Overall, requirements include participation in as many virtual sessions as possible by at least one team member and the completion of the customer interviews. The successful commercialization of a team’s IP will correlate with the team’s deep engagement in all aspects of the program.

Applications must be submitted by a Virginia-based innovation team (for example,  faculty at Virginia public institution of higher education and other team members such as GRAs or partner faculty, or a team comprised of a faculty member at a Virginia institution of higher education (to serve as PI) and team members from a Virginia early-stage startup. 

A faculty member from a Virginia public institution of higher education must serve as the PI. The rest of the innovation team can be students, other faculty, or members of a Virginia-based startup.

Researchers and faculty members at public institutions of higher education in Virginia who are deemed eligible by their home institution to serve as a Principal Investigator (Pl) on an external grant are eligible to apply as PI.

The team should define member roles based on their expertise and personal interests. For example, a faculty member might be focused on technical aspects of product development. 

At least one member should serve as the entrepreneurial lead and pay special attention to customer discovery and development of the business aspects of the budding commercial entity.

In some cases, the faculty PI can serve as entrepreneurial lead. In other instances, the team might be more effective if the entrepreneurial lead is a PhD student, other faculty member, or in the case of a partnership with a Virginia-based startup, the lead from the startup could serve as entrepreneurial lead.

Due to the amount of work involved during the first phase of the program, which requires teams to conduct a minimum of 20 customer interviews, we strongly advise PIs to form a team with post-docs, PhD students, or fellow PIs to assist with the groundwork necessary to obtain and perform these interviews.

A PhD student or post-doc team member can take on the responsibility of leading the effort to investigate commercialization opportunities for the research as long as the PI is kept fully involved with the process and is debriefed on the key findings from the interviews and customer feedback. 

Alternatively, if faculty PIs are collaborating with a Virginia-based startup, a team member from the startup should be engaged in customer interviews.

If the IP is sourced from the faculty PI, the faculty member must complete or already have completed an invention disclosure with the relevant technology transfer office at their home academic institutions by the time the application to CATAPULT is submitted. 

If the IP is sourced from a Virginia-based startup, the startup team retains all rights to the IP, but the faculty PI is expected to actively contribute technical expertise to further product development in a meaningful way. 

Failure of the faculty PI to be engaged in product development and/or CCI+A activities could lead to withdrawal of funding. The partnership between a faculty PI and a Virginia-based startup should be meaningful and beneficial to both.

• Forty customer interviews. Complete a minimum of 20 potential customer interviews during the I-Corp portion of the program. Complete an additional 20+ customer interviews between the conclusion of the I-Corps event and the final pitch event.
• In-Person Session Attendance. Full team (defined as PI faculty member and entrepreneurial lead (if not faculty member) and additional personnel as desired) attend the kick-off meeting, bootcamp day,  Virginia Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) day and closing pitch day sessions, for a total of four in-person sessions.
• Virtual Session Attendance. The PI and/or entrepreneurial lead are expected to participate in virtual sessions and mentor office hours. Other team members are encouraged to attend as many as possible to ensure continuity of learning.
• I-Corps Sessions. The PI and/or the entrepreneurial lead, should attend all ICAP sessions. Other team members are encouraged to attend as many as possible to ensure continuity of learning.
• Customer Discovery. Follow the customer discovery process and other guidance provided by the instructors and mentors.
• Explore Commercialization. Commit to exploring the commercialization potential of your technology.

Attendance to the four in-person sessions in Arlington is mandatory for the PIs and the entrepreneurial lead. Faculty PIs who are teaching on the dates of the in-person sessions should make appropriate arrangements for class coverage on those dates. Grant funds can be used to cover travel and accommodation expenses related to these in-person sessions.

Expectations:

The CCI+A program is divided into two phases:

• The I-Corps program, which follows the NSF’s I-Corps lean startup model and requires teams to obtain 20 customer interviews during its course. Completing this goal is time-consuming and necessitates the PI and their teams actively network and reach out to the ecosystem that will use/adopt their innovation.
• The CCI+A program, comprising a series of workshops, roundtables, and panel discussions tailored to the cybersecurity industry, in which teams will have the opportunity to interact with industry leaders, potential customers, and investors.

An additional 20 customer interviews are required during this phase to continue honing their work. An ICAP mentor will be assigned to each team and considered the team’s primary mentor. This mentor will also provide guidance and insight about potential next steps for pursuing funding. Other counselors, technical advisors, and experienced serial entrepreneurs will be available for support and consultation with the teams throughout the program and beyond. Connection with these advisors and tech mentors is enabled even after the conclusion of the program.

Attendance at the four in-person sessions, held in Arlington, is mandatory for the PIs and the entrepreneurial lead. Grant funds may be used to cover travel and accommodation expenses related to these in-person sessions. Please ensure you are available during the in-person dates (see schedule) before submitting an application.

Direct all questions to novacci@gmu.edu.