Scientific discoveries can hold enormous promise, but translating an idea from the lab into a startup or other commercial opportunity requires scientists to navigate an unfamiliar landscape of funding, investors, technology transfer, and venture creation. This four-part short course introduces scientists to the fundamentals of venture capital and research commercialization in accessible, practical language, with an emphasis on how these systems apply to science-driven ventures. 

Across the course, participants will learn how venture capital funds work and why their economics shape investment decisions; trace the pathway from scientific discovery to commercialization; examine how investors source, screen, and evaluate early-stage science startups; and explore the many ways scientists can participate in the venture ecosystem. The course will also consider where venture capital fits alongside grants and other non-dilutive funding, why promising science does not always translate into an investable opportunity, and how scientific expertise can contribute to venture diligence and decision-making. 

Each 60-minute webinar will combine a concise primer on key concepts with a moderated fireside conversation featuring a guest expert and audience Q&A. Participants will also receive a one-page resource sheet for each session highlighting key concepts and resources for further learning.

• Describe how venture capital funds work and explain how fund structure, return expectations, and power-law economics influence investment decisions. 

• Map the major stages in translating a scientific discovery from the laboratory toward commercialization and early institutional investment. 

• Compare venture capital with grants, non-dilutive funding, philanthropic or impact-oriented capital, and other funding sources to identify which may be appropriate at different stages of a science-driven venture. 

• Explain how early-stage investors source, screen, and conduct diligence on science startups, including the factors that can cause an opportunity to advance or be passed over. 

• Apply a team, technology, market, and timing framework to assess the investment potential of an early-stage science venture. 

• Assess ways scientists can participate in the venture ecosystem and identify concrete next steps for pursuing roles such as advisor, scout, founder, or investor. 

• STEM researchers at all career stages who are interested in startups, research commercialization, venture capital, or translating scientific discoveries into commercial opportunities. 

• STEM researchers who want to better understand how venture investors evaluate research-driven technologies and companies. 

• Academic researchers, research-driven founders, and aspiring founders considering how to move a scientific discovery toward commercialization or venture creation. 

• STEM researchers interested in understanding the range of funding options available as research progresses from the laboratory toward the market. 

• Researchers interested in exploring ways to engage with the venture ecosystem, including technical diligence, scouting, advising, company formation, or investing. 

• Professionals who support the translation of early-stage science, including those working in technology transfer, innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization. 

Designed as a four-part learning journey, this course builds concepts and skills across each session. Participants in the PhD to VC: Translating Scientific Breakthroughs into Investable Ventures Course may register for the full four-session course or for individual sessions. Each session is designed to provide value as a standalone program; however, the course builds progressively from venture capital fundamentals and research commercialization to investor evaluation and pathways for engaging in the venture ecosystem.

Participation in the full course is recommended for those seeking to achieve the complete set of learning objectives and develop a more comprehensive understanding of how scientific discoveries move toward venture investment and commercialization. Bundled course pricing offers the best value.