A short introduction to an alternative way to fund scientific research and technology transfer into startups.

1. CrowdFunding
for Science & Technology Projects from Academic Research
Ari Massoudi, PhD
Bio-Pharma Business Consultant
https://www.linkedin.com/in/arimassoudi

2. Prototype =
Technology
(Clinical Trials)
Industrial Property:
Patents and/or Unique Know-How/Trade Secret
Public Good
shared in Scientific Journals
Academia:
Research Universities Labs, Research Institutes Labs, Teaching Hospitals
Application
(Pre-clinical studies)
Discovery
Technology-Transfer Office (TTO) / Business Incubator (BI):
- Academic Spin-off Startup Companies
- Licensing-Out to SMEs or Global Firms
Science & Technology-Push Innovation
Applied
Research
Very Complicated for people not used with the Academic world
to understand the R&D process and actors involved!
Market
Introduction
Experimental
Development
Basic Research
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3. Funding GAP
Funding Gap in Science & Technology-Push Innovation
Established
Market
Market
Seduction
Public Funding
Private Funding:
Angel Investors
Seed-Fund Venture Capital
VC Private Equity
Global Firms
IPO M&A
SMEs or Global Firms
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4. The challenge for the executives of both Technology Transfer Office (TTO) and Business
Incubators (BI) is to sell their Industrial Properties (IPs), and they need to attract the attention
of investors, entrepreneurs & industrialists (SMEs or Big firms).
TTO executives are very good at IP management and Business-to-Business marketing and
sales (licensing-out & royalty negotiation), but they are not expert in Business-to-Customer
Online Marketing & Communication … and Crowdfunding is all about Communication!
Academic projects are in competition with non-Academic innovation (‘’Good idea’’-
based Business Opportunities) knocking at the door of angel investors, venture capitalists &
industrialists.
The capital is limited and there is a lot of projects and startups in competition to raise funds!
Universities’ IPs are not easy to find nor to understand how they could apply in real life (or
even in a specific industry => they need further development – therefore new fundings - to
find an application).
There is a huge unserved need of funding concerning early-stage R&D projects in the
Academia!
CrowdFunding
THE Solution to Solve the Problem of Funding Gap
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5. Ex.: in France, there is 50 organisations dedicated to the commercialisation of
Universities’discoveries:
- 32 Business Incubators, NPOs of Universities supporting the development of spin-off
startups
=> Hundreds Startups in need of Seed Funding!
- 18 Technology-Transfer Offices, Public-Private-funded companies dedicated to the
commercialization of Universities’ patents.
=> Thousands Patents in need of funding for further Experimental Development!
Science & Technology scouting for investors, entrepreneurs & industrialists is difficult and
time-consuming due to the numerous organisations involved (and therefore numerous
websites)
There is 73 Universities in France, 4000 in Europe, 3263 in the USA, and 22123 in the whole
world in 205 countries.
CrowdFunding
THE Solution to Solve the Problem of Funding Gap
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6. Academia:
Research Universities Labs, Research Institutes Labs, Teaching Hospitals
Prototype =
Technology
(Clinical trials)
Application
(Pre-clinical studies)
Discovery
Applied
Research
Market
Introduction
Experimental
Development
Basic Research
Donation/Reward-based
CrowdFunding
What Kind of CrowdFunding for Academic Science & Technology?
Technology-Transfer Office (TTO) / Business Incubator (BI):
- Academic Spin-off Startup Companies
- Licensing-Out to SMEs or Global Firms
Donation/Reward
+
Equity-based CrowdFunding
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7. For Academic Basic and Applied Scientific Research Projects, Inventions, and Technology-Transfer to Commercial Project/Startup Company
http://www.fundageek.com US, CrowdFunding platform dedicated to technical innovation, commercial projects based on technology, as well as basic
research projects at universities and research institutions. Donation/Reward model
https://www.propelx.com/ US, Equity-Crowdfunding platform for Science & Tech Startups
http://www.techmoola.com US, Crowdfunding for US inventors having a technology in Energy, Electronics, Medical, Communications, WebTech, Computer
Hardware, Software and Sports/Games. Donations/Rewards model
http://eurekafund.org/ US, Crowdfunding for scientists and groundbreaking research in the field of energy and the environment
http://fundscience.org/ US, Crowdfunding for academic research projects
http://www.opengenius.org/ Italy, Crowdfunding for academic research projects
http://ustartups.com/ US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding platform created to promote the maturation of university science and engineering projects
to the point where they have real world impacts
http://sciflies.org/ US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding platform for research and development projects that lead to new discoveries and innovation
http://www.petridish.org/ US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding for Academic scientific research projects
https://experiment.com/ US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding for Academic scientific research projects
http://www.iamscientist.com/ US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding for Academic scientific research projects
http://www.innovocracy.org US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding for Academic scientific research projects
http://www.superiorideas.org/ US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding for Academic scientific research projects from the Michigan Technological
University
http://walacea.com/ UK, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding for Academic scientific research projects
http://www.precipita.es/ Spain, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfuding for Academic scientific research projects - platform launched by the Fundación
Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología http://www.fecyt.es/
http://www.davincicrowd.com/ Fr, Crowdfunding for higher-education, academic research and associations dedicated to support research / DaVinciCrowd is
a platform of Iffres, NPO dedicated to French University Foundations https://sites.google.com/site/institutffres/
http://inventionhome.com/ US, InventionHome is not a crowdfunding site, it’s a web platform of invention portfolio. Investors can pitch online their
invention with the goal to find companies interested to buy or establish a license. Inventions are presented in an online catalogue:
http://ishow.inventionhome.com/
http://www.ideabuyer.com/ US, Ideabuyer is not a crowdfunding site, it’s a web platform of invention portfolio. Investors can pitch online their invention
with the goal to find companies interested to buy or establish a license
http://1idea4all.com/ Fr, 1idea4all is not a crowdfunding site, it’s a marketplace of idea and invention where inventors can connect with companies
seeking ideas or inventions
http://www.marblar.com UK, Marblar is not a crowdfunding site, Marblar aims to connect scientists and the entrepreneurial crowds to help brainstorm
real-world applications for promising scientific discoveries (Open-Innovation)

8. Crowdfunding websites for Healthcare Projects
http://www.medstartr.com/ US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding for projects improving the healthcare
https://www.healthtechhatch.com/ US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding for IT projects improving healthcare
http://www.curelauncher.com/ US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding for Academic basic, applied and clinical research projects dedicated to the Human
health
https://www.projectviolet.org/ US, Donation/Reward-based Crowdfunding page dedicated to support the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
(http://www.fredhutch.org/ )
http://myprojects.cancerresearchuk.org/ UK, Donation-based Crowdunfing platform of the Cancer Research UK, the leading cancer research and awareness
charity in the United Kingdom
http://healthfundr.com/ US, Equity-Based Crowdfunding - accredited investors - to invest in early to growth-stage health IT, digital health, medical device, and
diagnostic companies
http://www.venturehealth.com/ US, Equity-Based Crowdfunding - accredited investors - to invest in early to growth-stage health IT, digital health, medical
device, biotech, pharma and diagnostic companies
http://www.healthiosxchange.com/ US, US, Equity-Based Crowdfunding - accredited investors - to invest in early-stage to growth-stage healthcare companies
http://www.poliwogg.com/ US, Equity-based crowdfunding for healthcare companies - accredited investors -
https://www.angelmd.co/ US, Equity-based crowdfunding for healthcare companies
http://www.crowdcure.com/ US, Equity-based crowdfunding for healthcare companies
https://booster-funds.com/ Fr, Equity-based Crowdfunding for healthcare companies
http://www.capitalcell.net/ Spain, Equity-based Crowdfunding for biotech & healthcare companies
http://www.mypharmacompany.com/ Fr, Royalty-based Crowdfunding for R&D projects applied in medicine
http://www.funformedicine.org Fr, Nonprofit Oganization supporting R&D projects applied in medicine. FunForMedicine uses the Donation/Reward-based
crowdfunding to raise funds to offer grants to selected medical R&D projects
https://www.wellfundr.com Fr, Donation/Reward for projects for health innovation
Crowdfunding websites of Universities
https://www.launch.umd.edu/ US, Crowdfunding website of the University of Maryland, for students, professors and researchers to raise funds on projects
http://www.colorado.edu/crowdfunding/ US, Crowdfunding website of the University of Colorado Boulder for students, professors and researchers to raise
funds on projects
More Crowdfunding website at:
https://fr.slideshare.net/myofibre/listof-crowdfundingwebsitesandmuchmore