From Pipettes to Pitch Decks: How to Turn Your Academic Research into a Startup Company

ABSTRACT

For many academic researchers, the path from a novel discovery to a viable startup is an opaque and intimidating process. Promising technologies often get trapped in the lab, unable to reach the patients and markets that need them. This is not due to a lack of scientific merit, but is often because of a lack of a clear commercialization strategy. This talk aims to demystify the process of building this strategy, providing a step-by-step guide for turning cutting-edge science into a successful company. Join Dr. Scott Alpizar, a neuroscientist turned venture investor and company builder, for a tactical, no-nonsense roadmap for academic entrepreneurs. Drawing on his experience funding and building companies from both the investor and operator seats, Dr. Alpizar will deconstruct the journey from idea to fundable startup. You will learn how to validate market potential, master customer discovery, navigate the university, build a strong business plan, and execute a funding strategy. This talk is for any scientist who is interested in entrepreneurship and wants to understand how to build a company like a business, not just another science project!

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Scott Alpizar is a neuroscientist turned investor, advisor, and entrepreneur who is passionate about turning scientific innovation into startup success. He received his PhD in Neurobiology from Dartmouth College, where he studied subcellular control of membrane excitability in the axon. After graduate school, he transitioned into an investment role with Foundation Venture Capital Group, where he spent five years focused on identifying promising academic technologies and spinning them out into new startup companies. After finding his niche, he started his own consulting company, Emerging Innovations Consulting, where he currently helps academic entrepreneurs navigate every step of starting their own company from validating their initial idea to raising millions of dollars – and everything in between.