Episode 87: Rocket Fund: Introducing a Non-Equity CleanTech Fund

Learn about Cal-Tech’s Rocket Fund which awards non-equity grants from $25k-75k. FLOW's Rocket Fund is a granting pool that helps academic and garage innovators turn their technologies into commercial realities through financial support and entrepreneurial education.

We will be introducing you to an opportunity for CleanTech companies to obtain non-equity funding for commercial prototyping and connecting with customers. Supported by California’s six major utilities, industry and Caltech, the Rocket Fund http://flow.caltech.edu/rocket-fund provides non-equity grants to startups to design and build their first commercial prototype and start demonstrating with potential buyers.

Bio:
Stephanie Yanchinski

Trained as a scientist, Ms. Yanchinski has directed her entrepreneurial expertise towards starting companies and helping tech ventures emerge from universities. She has worked with government and the business and investment community in Europe, Asia and Canada to establish entrepreneurial support programs: in Canada she helped found a $20 million medical science incubator, and ran a $1.5 million CEO mentoring and training program.

At Caltech, she founded and now oversees the strategic planning, fund-raising and management of FLOW, a nationally recognized entrepreneurial program of the Resnick Sustainability Institute. Funded by the Department of Energy, FLOW helped launch over 20 companies which together have raised $60 million in follow on funding within four years.

In partnership with Southern California Edison, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas, Sacramento Municipal Utilities District and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the Moxie Foundation, as well as Caltech, Ms. Yanchinski launched the Rocket Fund in 2015 for early stage companies. The Rocket Fund is an innovative cross cutting program providing vital funding and necessary commercial partners for building and testing a minimum commercial prototype (MCP) for real world demonstration. The Fund validates technologies which makes companies more attractive to investors and partners.