No doubt about it, UC Davis is a powerhouse of innovation and entrepreneurship not only in the Sacramento startup ecosystem, but nationally. If you look at the Sacramento Startup and Innovation Ecosystem Circuit Board you’ll see that that they’re a hub for several innovation programs. But the current version of the diagram is incomplete and doesn’t fully represent the many programs that UC Davis has to foster innovation and entrepreneurship.
Shortly after releasing version 2.0 of Sacramento Startup and Innovation Ecosystem Circuit Board , Ryan Sharp, Associate Director, Venture Catalyst – Economic Engagement contacted me to offer his help to fill in the missing pieces and better reflect what UC Davis is doing. As a precursor to incorporating these new elements into a new version of the Sacramento Startup and Innovation Ecosystem Circuit Board I thought it might be useful to publish a stand-alone diagram of the UC Davis programs described to me by Ryan. The diagram below depicts the relationships between the programs. Details and links to each are below. Next task is to integrate this into the larger diagram of the whole Sacramento startup ecosystem.
Venture Catalyst DRIVE™ Network
Through the Venture Catalyst DRIVE™ (Distributed Research Incubation & Venture Engine) Program, UC Davis is taking a distributed approach to developing a network of lean, thematically oriented business incubators both on-campus and off-campus. DRIVE will consist of a network of startup incubation facilities (the DRIVE™ Network Innovation Centers) to be facilitated through the Office of Research by Venture Catalyst with management of the actual incubation facilities handled by the physical facility owners. Startups will enter into leases directly with the Innovation Center landlord.
UC Davis HM.CLAUSE Life Sciences Incubator
The UC Davis-HM.CLAUSE Life Science Innovation Centeris one of several DRIVE Program Incubators. It is a 3,100 square-foot, off campus facility that is administered and owned by HM.CLAUSE, a global leader in the production and sale of vegetable seeds. It is equipped with biochemistry, molecular biology and chemistry lab space, and also offers 1,800 ft² of contiguous greenhouse space.
As a business incubator, the center provides the technical services and support needed in order to turn viable ideas into successful businesses. The shared goal of UC Davis and HM.CLAUSE is to create an environment that breeds innovation, fosters creativity and inspires synergy. As is common for incubators such as this, tenants are able to lease space for a maximum term of two years in order to allow others to benefit.
MedCatalyst @UC Davis
MedCatalyst @ UC Davis is one of several DRIVE Program Incubators.
R2B Catalyst
Venture Catalyst announced the addition of Research to Business Catalyst (R2B Catalyst) as the newest, and first international incubator within the DRIVE Network. Located in Santiago, Chile, R2B Catalyst officially opened in October 2016 as part of the UC Davis-Chile Life Sciences Innovation Center, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University of California.
Area 52
Area 52 is one of several DRIVE Program Incubators. Billed as a “heavy incubator,” Area 52 is geared towards building products and starting a manufacturing business. The space features office space accessible to a full fabrication facility, as well as experienced engineers and fabricators.
Hacker Lab
Hacker Lab is one of several DRIVE Program Incubators.
STAIR Grant
Managed by Venture Catalyst, the purpose of the Science Translation and Innovative Research Grant program is to provide funding to UC Davis researchers to support translational science and innovative research, enabling demonstration of early proof-of-concept and commercial potential or feasibility for technologies being developed with the intent of commercial translation.
START Suite of Programs
The Venture Catalyst START™ Suite of programs and services provides the ABCs to equip UC Davis entrepreneurs with the tools they need to form and grow robust startups. The program gives founders the START they need to create a well-structured company and ensure the company is prepared for success.
Knowledge Exchange Speaker Series
Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
The Mike and Renee Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship integrates science and business for social benefit.
They bring together researchers in science and engineering with faculty, MBA students, UC Davis undergraduates, experienced entrepreneurs, investors and corporate leaders to support technology transfer and commercialization activities.
Their programs help researchers and students build the networks, knowledge and tools to communicate the value of their work, explore commercialization strategies, connect with industry partners, and design research programs that address and align with practical applications.
BigBang! Business Competition
The annual Big Bang! Business Competition provides a forum for UC Davis and the broader community to collaborate, develop and test business visions and plans. The Big Bang! offers mentorship, team building, education, financing and networking for aspiring entrepreneurs. At one time only open to UC Davis students, faculty, and alumni, the Big Bang! Business Competition is now open to the general public.
Entrepreneurship Academies
Food and Ag Entrepreneurship Academy
The Food + Ag Entrepreneurship Academy is the premier academic program for commercializing innovations in food and agriculture. It is a springboard for moving research out of the lab and into the world.
Biomedical and Engineering Entrepreneurship Academy
The Biomedical + Engineering Entrepreneurship Academy (BMEA) is the premier academic program for commercializing science and engineering innovations. It is a springboard for moving research out of the lab and into the world.
National Labs Entrepreneurship Academy
The three-day National Labs Entrepreneurship Academy is the premier academic program for commercializing science and engineering innovations coming out of Lawrence Livermore National Lab (LLNL) and Sandia National Labs (SNL). It is intended for employees of the National Labs, and is a springboard for moving research out of the lab and into the world.
The three-day UC Entrepreneurship Academy is the premiere academic program for commercializing science and engineering innovations. It is a springboard for moving research out of the lab and into the world.
Ignite Conference
The Ignite conference provides entrepreneurial MBA students and others with a chance to meet some of the most successful and up-and-coming entrepreneurs in the Bay Area.
Angels on Campus
The Angels on Campus mentoring program is designed for students, postdocs and faculty to meet with angel investors on campus and explore commercial opportunities surrounding their ideas.
ASUCD Entrepreneurship Fund
Entrepreneurship Fund is UC Davis’s Student-Run Startup Accelerator. Providing student entrepreneurs with the resources, mentorship and framework to help build ideas for products or services into successful startups.
World Food Center
The World Food Center elevates and enhances the excellence across UC Davis for greater societal impact on food and health and has ties to the Food and Ag Entrepreneurship Academy.
