Milwaukee I-Corps Program Continues After Successful Summer Cohort

While the I-Corp program this summer looked different than it did last summer, participants still engaged in quality communication and learning through a virtual format.

Congratulations to the Summer’20 Milwaukee I-Corps program graduates! 

The 16th cohort of the Milwaukee I-Corps Site Program concluded August 17th, with ten teams completing rigorous five-week courseThe teams drew participants from multiple levels of academia (from researchers to students) and various institutionsUniversity of Wisconsin – Milwaukee (UWM), Marquette, the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), Concordia, and the Milwaukee community.  

This diverse group of teams explored ideas and markets related to: accessible medical devices, drug development to address symptoms of menopause, eco-friendly materials, a mobile healthcare delivery platform that could be used for COVID-19 testing, advanced battery materials, and other product/service innovations.  

The graduates of the Summer 2020 I-Corp program join an ever-growing family of 135 teams and 500 participants. The interviews conducted by the 16th cohort also added 345 customer interviews to the 4,800 customer interviews conducted since 2015.  

The Milwaukee I-Corps Program is designed to help academic entrepreneurs explore the viability of their technologies and ventures through the “lean startup” or “lean launch” process of direct engagement with the potential markets. Thus far 28 companies have launched from the program and participating teams have raised $8.6 million in various forms of support. In addition to exploring markets and the “problem-solution fit” participants also gain important professional development skills and industry contacts. 

The program, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), is a collaboration between Milwaukee academic institutions: Concordia University, Marquette University, the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee School of Engineering and the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee along with the UWM Research Foundation.  

The program is now accepting applications for the next session, which will start in October. Details and application can be found at icorpsmilwaukee.org