The 2024 cycle has concluded and there are no current open RFAs for the Materialize New York program.
Material Impact (MI) partnered Columbia Technology Ventures and the Lab-to-Market Accelerator Network to advance development of novel technologies in the New York City area through a the Materialize New York Accelerator.
Selected teams were invited to attend a 9-week Bootcamp consisting of interactive, hybrid learning sessions and office hours.
Participating teams worked alongside the MI team to de-risk their innovation from a business perspective (customer identification, product-market fit, market size, feasible milestones, etc). In collaboration with Columbia Business School, selected Venture Fellows (MBA or Executive MBA students) also collaborated with participating teams during the Boot Camp and served as additional resources. The aim of the program was to prepare the teams for their startup journey by putting together the building blocks of a strong foundation and leading to the creation of a startup pitch deck.
The goal of this accelerator is to move technologies from the academic lab towards start-up formation with MI's guidance and commitment towards human impact.
Questions? Please read Program Details below and/or reach out to [email protected].
Program Details
Deep technology innovations with a strong competitive advantage geared towards addressing large enduring needs in areas, including but not limited to:
- Biomanufacturing and Sustainable Products
[To minimize environmental impact, utilize biomaterials and feed the circular economy] - Sustainable Food and Water
[Breakthroughs in access to healthy, safe and affordable food and water sources] - Data Storage and Security
[Technologies to ensure the resilience and protection of data and information] - Robotics, AI, and Augmented Reality
[Innovations that augment the capabilities of industry and individuals] - Transportation and Mobility
[Novel ways to transport and protect people, goods and technologies] - Underrepresented Healthcare
[Consumer-driven, democratized and distributed health information]
Special consideration was given for projects that apply a novel material or technique to these issues. Please note that therapeutics and pure software were not in scope.
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Must have Intellectual Property from the respective university.
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A team ready to spin out at the end of the program and led by entrepreneurially minded graduate students, postdocs, or undergraduate students with permission from the PI.
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A proposed startup aligned with at least one of Material Impact’s areas of interest listed above
Proposed projects were reviewed by respective tech transfer offices to determine eligibility and then reviewed by Material Impact to determine fit within the field/area of interest. Each application was scored based on translational and commercialization potential, scientific and technical merit, and feasibility.
MI is a premier, hands-on venture fund that builds deep tech companies powered by material-based approaches. It strives to solve meaningful engineering challenges in the areas of Sustainability, Data Storage, Robotics & AI/AR, Food & Water, Transportation & Mobility, and Underrepresented Healthcare. MI recognizes the importance of providing a supportive ecosystem and takes an active role in helping founders reach commercial success.