|
|
Overview
The Johnson School's BR Ventures and BR Incubator provide a vital connection between intellectual properties and needed financial resources by infusing venture capital and business expertise into promising Cornell and local startups. The fund provides incubation services and seed capital, typically ranging between $50,000 and $200,000, to selected businesses. Over its lifetime, the fund will invest up to $10,000,000 in business entities, most of which will approach us through the extended Cornell community. BRV and BRI are funded by donations to the university; fund returns are returned to the Johnson School to create a growing pool of investment capital and build the endowment.
The fund has undertaken several initiatives to expand the scope of entrepreneurship throughout the extended Cornell community. These initiatives include the $10,000 Business Idea Competition, participation in the Cornell Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club's annual symposium, working to build a strong relationship with Cornell's Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise Program and developing an extensive network of friends among alumni. The fund has also developed informal relationships with a number of unaffiliated later stage venture capital firms and incubators.
Our Goals
- Promote an entrepreneurial spirit and environment throughout the Cornell community
- Educate Cornell community about entrepreneur-ship and business creation
- Utilize the human capital and resources on campus for the benefit of portfolio companies
- Generate awareness of BRV and BRI
- Assist with the commercialization of venture fundable ideas and businesses in order to build the endowment
The fund differentiates itself from venture capital funds at other academic institutions by providing JGSM students with the opportunity to evaluate, mentor, and invest in start-up businesses and operate the venture capital fund as a business into itself.
