Do you have an innovative technology or invention that you think would make a good business?

The Deshpande Center, in conjuction with the MIT Venture Capital and Private Equity Club and MIT TechLink, introduced something new at IdeaStream on April 8. By popular demand from both the business and MIT communities, we are providing a unique opportunity for MIT researchers to pitch their innovative technology ideas to venture capitalists and successful entrepreneurs at our annual IdeaStream Symposium.

The Innovation Showcase™ is a great way for early-stage ideas to get market feedback at the research stage and without writing a full business plan. Participants get visibility for their work, make connections, and get real-world feedback on how they might be able to commercialize their ideas.

View this year's Innovation Showcase projects.

Format

Three breakout sessions in the afternoon of the symposium feature 4-6 technology ideas selected from a pool of applicants from the MIT research community. The short (10 minute) presentations focus on both the technology and the potential commercial impact of the technology. After the breakout sessions, a 45-minute networking break enables presenters to present a poster and share ideas with our distinguished attendees.

Submission Guidelines

A submission timeline for next year's Innovation Showcase will be posted in early 2005.

We ask MIT faculty and students to submit their ideas electronically. The presenters are selected by a panel of experts and notified a few weeks before IdeaStream. The application form is available now for downloading.

Applications must be submitted by a faculty member, research staff, or student for a technology-based idea conceived while doing research at MIT. We do not require a full business plan or a finished product; this program is appropriate for both early- and late-stage innovations. However, the more thought-out the business model and more advanced the proof of concept, the more likely the idea will be selected.

An Important Note on Public Disclosure

The Innovation Showcase constitutes a public disclosure that could be a bar to future patenting. Please do not disclose enabling or proprietary information on the application or when giving your presentation, unless a patent application has already been filed. Note that the MIT Technology Licensing Office can help you determine your intellectual property (IP) strategy, how to protect your idea, and determine what you can disclose publicly while still protecting your patent rights. Please take the necessary measures to protect your IP.

Sessions co-hosted by MIT VCPE and MIT TechLink