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In this Issue: Valley Ventures Fall Applications | BTV Holds First CEO Crash Course | WET Member Highlight | In the News | Events & Webinars | Grants & Opportunities | Did you know?
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Welcome to the Valley Ventures Edition!
“In its first year, the Valley Ventures Accelerator has helped
25 companies attract $10 million in sales and $9 million
in investment capital. Participating companies include founders from
Fresno as well as Chile, Brazil, and South Korea, with many
continuing to maintain business relationships
throughout the Central Valley.”
- Fresno State Campus News
The Valley Ventures accelerator is in the process of accepting applications for companies in the ag, water, and energy sectors that have a potential solution to the problems the industries face.
With the program located within the heart
of the Central Valley, these kinds of
innovations are indispensable.
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What our fall 2017 ventures are saying: |
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“Navigating the world of venture capital can be extremely difficult, especially if you’ve never raised money before. The Valley Ventures program not only helped us understand the process, but even helped us with our strategy and finding connections to raise the money we needed.”
“The best part of Valley Ventures is the industry focus. Most of the companies in the accelerator operate in the water and agriculture nexus, so having mentors and material that address our specific needs is extremely helpful.”
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“Everything I’ve learned in the program has immense real world application. I was concerned that it would feel like going back to school, but working with experienced entrepreneurs and people in the industry on the real issues my business faces would say otherwise.”
“Throughout the program, I learned that sales growth is what drives a start-up's value. If I am going to raise any venture capital or even grow a business sales must be top priority. The Valley Ventures program's focus on REAL WORLD tactics for increasing my sales is exactly what I need to get my venture off the ground.”
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To apply or learn more, click the image above or visit valleyventures.org/application. |
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BlueTechValley Holds First CEO Crash Course |
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BTV's first CEO Crash Course of the three-course series took place on July 18th,
where around 20 attendees listened to experts speak on the areas of
running a business that entrepreneurs need to know.
The CEO Crash Course is a business development boot camp being offered this
summer in Fresno. By the end of the course, attendees will develop concrete
ways to advance their ventures including marketing, human resources,
funding, and business model development.
For more information on the Crash Course click here.
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WET Member Highlight |
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Skyven Technologies was founded in 2013 by CEO Dr. Arun Gupta. Skyven is pioneering a solution for the food processing industry to reduce fuel use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by supplementing boilers with heat from the sun. Their Intelligent Mirror Array (IMA™) technology raises the temperature of the sun’s heat and injects the heat into an existing boiler. IMA™ has been recognized by the National Science Foundation and was recently awarded the one million dollar
grand prize in New York's 76West Clean Energy Competition.
“We greatly appreciate the WET Center’s competence, position and influence in
the Central Valley California, where our primary market is,” says Agata Hinc of Skyven.
Hinc says Skyven is actively seeking food producers in the Central Valley with year round
operations, with requirements for hot water and/or steam and space availability that are looking
to reduce their energy cost and their GHG emissions.
“It’s all about people. Find and maintain relationships with positive people who believe in what
you believe,” says Hinc. “That way you will not only be more successful, but you will
also be happier with the quality with your success.”
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Learn more about Skyven here.
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In the News
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Upcoming Events and Webinars
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Invest in the future of the Central Valley!
November 1, 2018
The Central Valley Innovation & Entrepreneurship Forum will give early-stage
business applicants the opportunity to compete to receive investments
from a group angel fund created for this event only, called the
“Central Valley Venture Forum Fund (CVVFF) 2018.”
Would like to be part of the group angel fund and invest in the startups?
Visit cvieforum.com/investors.
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Curious about what BlueTechValley and Valley Ventures are?
Webinar: What is BTV?
Friday, August 3rd, 10 AM
Join us and learn what the BlueTechValley Innovation Cluster and the Valley
Ventures Accelerator Program are all about, what services they offer
and how they can help your startup.
Click here to register.
Webinar: Is Exporting for Your Company?
Thursday, August 16, 10 AM – 11 AM
Looking into exporting and want to know what the benefits are? Do you know if your company is ready to export? Wondering where to begin if you get an international inquiry? Join the four-course webinar series and hear Glen Roberts of the
U.S. Department of Commerce cover these topics.
Click here to learn more or register.
Is your company developing an energy-related product? SERC can help!
Webinar: What is SERC?
Wednesday, August 29, 3 PM – 4 PM
Established in 1989, the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) at Humboldt State University is working to establish clean energy technologies, specializing in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and hydrogen energy systems through research and development, technology demonstration and more. In addition, SERC performs
feasibility studies, resource assessments, and energy planning studies.
Join us for a webinar on August 29th to learn more about how the Schatz Energy Research Center can help members in testing their products.
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Grants and Other Opportunities
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The Startup Legal Garage is an innovative program at UC Hastings College of the Law that offers free legal services to early-stage technology and biotech companies. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis starting July 1, 2018. You can apply on their website here.
The Lab Partnering Service is a service of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Investor Center. The service provides investors, and other parties looking to advance energy innovation, a single location to connect with leading DOE national laboratory technical experts to quickly answer innovation questions, as well as discover opportunities for building partnerships. Click here to learn more.
Grid Optimization Competition
The Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is challenging the research and industrial communities to successfully develop and test power system optimization and control algorithms to accelerate the development and comprehensive
evaluation of new solution methods for grid optimization. Click here to learn more. |
The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and the California Clean Energy Fund (CalCEF) announced the California Climate Cup, a startup innovation competition seeking the next generation of technologies, business models, and platforms that will help megacities—as well as states and regions—accelerate reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, improve air quality, and enhance resiliency in the face of climate change. Click here to apply before August 6th.
Applications for the 2018 Sacramento Region Innovation Awards
Does your local startup or established business have an innovative product, process or service? Self-nominations are encouraged for recent innovations born and raised in Butte, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Solano,
Sutter, Yolo & Yuba counties.
For more information or to register click here.
The Energy Commission’s Food Production Investment Program -To learn more or apply for the FPIP click here!
Deadline to apply is August 31st.
Valley Innovators has announced the launch of its entrepreneurial program and annual
pitch contest on August 29th, 2018. For more information or to participate click here.
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Did you know?
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UC Berkeley’s New Business Practicum
has launched their new user-friendly website, “OLLIE” (Online Legal Library and Information for Entrepreneurs) with resources to help entrepreneurs looking for legal advice. Click here to check it out and get the information your startup needs!
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Follow us on social media or contact us at bluetechvalley@csufresno.edu! |
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