Aspiring entrepreneurs often need guidance along the road to technology commercialization. Indeed, poking around a new technology concept with commercialization in mind represents a long way with consistent progression to maturity.
The bench2biz workshop is there to jump-start a new venture. Participants in the early phase of an innovative idea in science and technology are helped to move from an idea to a concept stage, shape their venture ideas, determine the commercial value and marketability of their idea or invention and set the ground of their business plan.
bench2biz is based on the Pre-Seed Workshop, a workshop created by Mark Wilson in 2004 in Rochester New York, USA as a Neworks trademark product. In Switzerland, the workshop is organized on an annual basis by bench2biz.
Designed for high-technology domains ideas, the programme is addressed to budding entrepreneurs and offers:
- Unique workshop including fast-paced modules which test each time the marketability of the selected high-tech ideas.
- An effective and efficient methodology to determine if high-tech or scientific inventions have commercial value and could serve as the basis for new start-up companies.
- Practical tools to transform an idea into a concept.
- The presence of business and industry experts with real-life entrepreneurship or corporate experience over the entire workshop, which is brought together around each participating idea into a carefully designed team.
What makes this workshop unique
The format
- Systematic: idea analysis sessions on the Technology, the Market, the Competition, the Business Model, etc.
- Collaborative: it is a hands-on, intensive workshop
- Specifically designed for high-technology ideas in life-sciences, advanced manufacturing, energy and technology sectors
- Selective: only ideas that can benefit from the workshop are selected
Specific deliverables: 20 key questions are answered and presented in front of a panel of community experts, angel or VC experts
Simulation of an actual start-up team: carefully selected experienced professionals in technology, business, finance, law, management are assembled around each idea champion and work with them on the deliverables.
Networking opportunities to meet and share with other young entrepreneurs as well as people important to long-term entrepreneurial success.
What are the major benefits of the workshop?
The workshop represents an entry point to other regional heavy support programmes in entrepreneurship training. It’s not a pitch contest but a way to objectively assess the commercial value of your business idea. It represents a way to be introduced to experts and other budding entrepreneurs that may represent your future co-founders.
During the workshop, participants benefit from fast-paced sessions run by certified facilitators, guidance specifically adapted to their project and support from experts from various backgrounds.
What we are looking for
The workshop targets students or young researchers, eager to test the validity of their venture idea and highly motivated to rapidly acquire fundamental knowledge and practical tools to get into the start-up ecosystem. Selected champions are expected to fully commit to the programme.
Coaches and experts with real-life entrepreneurship or corporate experience, technology transfer experts, lawyers with expertise in intellectual property (IP), technical experts etc. participate on a voluntary basis to the workshop.