Harbor Launch at IMET and VentureWell Partner to Bring Environmentally-Focused Investment Readiness Program to Maryland

Harbor Launch at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology is proud to partner with VentureWell to bring their Accelerating Startup Partnership and Investment Readiness (ASPIRE) program to Maryland.

ASPIRE (http://venturewell.org/aspire) is a 5-day program that brings together 10-15 startups and 10-15 investors for a week-long intensive workshop. The goal is to prepare first-time entrepreneurs to raise a round of equity funding. The program isn’t about pitch prep — it’s about developing a fundraising plan and investor deal room. Startups based on inventions for environmental health across areas like agriculture, ocean health, energy, and water are encouraged to apply.

Harbor Launch and VentureWell will deliver this program in Baltimore November 12-16. Startups and investors are recruited locally and nationally. Applications open August 20 with a deadline of September 30.

Harbor Launch is excited to lead this opportunity to showcase the region. For further information, please contact Lindsay D’Ambrosio at ldambrosio@umces.edu.

About VentureWell

VentureWell (http://www.venturewell.org/) is a non-profit organization on a mission to cultivate a pipeline of inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs driven to solve the world’s biggest challenges and to create lasting impact. They foster collaboration among the best minds from research labs, classrooms, and beyond to advance innovation and entrepreneurship education and to provide unique opportunities for STEM students and researchers to fully realize their potential to improve the world. Since their founding in 1995, they have directly supported or trained over 4,500 science and technology inventors and innovators, and nurtured thousands of their startups reaching millions of people in over 50 countries with groundbreaking technological advancements in fields such as biomedicine and healthcare, sustainable energy and materials, and solutions for low-resource settings.

About Harbor Launch at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology

Harbor Launch at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (http://www.harborlaunch.com) is an incubator for early-stage science and science support companies, with a focus on life sciences. Harbor Launch companies include academic “spinoff” companies and those external to the University. They are solving problems in human and environmental health through the development of products and services. Harbor Launch offers resources to startups such as affordable wet labs and office space, business advising, networking, an Entrepreneur in Residence program, open pro bono Entrepreneur Office Hours, and more.