AUT postgraduate students have a great track record for turning research into new business ventures. Recent PhD graduate Dr. Balakrishnan Nair is now CEO of PreventS-MD, a company implementing life-saving stroke risk assessment tools in clinical settings. PhD candidate Tanuj Wadhi won the 2023 Innovation Challenge with his athlete monitoring technology #EliteVu. And Dr. Sandra Grau-Bartual turned her PhD research on humidifying ‘smart fabrics’ into a company called RespirAq, which recently secured $3 million in venture capital.
AUT Ventures has played a part in each of these success stories. They are responsible for turning AUT research and expertise into opportunities for “real world” change, and commercialisation is one of the key ways they create pathways to impact. This year they are partnering with Ignite Innovation to present a cohort-based commercialisation programme designed to educate and inspire postgrad innovators.
This introductory programme launches in the week commencing 30 September with four modules running over the following six weeks (approximately 30 hours).
Topics covered:
- Commercialisation models
- AUT Intellectual Property policy
- AUT spinout stories
- Market and competitor analysis
- Market validation
- Value proposition
- Revenue and business models
- Intellectual Property
- Building a brand
- Company structures and investment landscape
- Pitch practice
To register your interest in being part of the first cohort, please email Hannah Binder at AUT Ventures (hannah.binder@aut.ac.nz).
