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

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 on April 26, 2005.

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 the afternoon of April 26 will each feature 4-6 technology ideas selected from a pool of applicants from the MIT research community. The short (10-minute) presentations should focus on both the technology and the potential commercial impact of the technology. After the breakout sessions, a long, 45-minute networking break will enable presenters to present a poster and share ideas with our distinguished attendees.

The 2005 deadline for submissions has passed. A submission timeline for next year's Innovation Showcase will be posted in early 2006.

The presenters are selected by a panel of experts and notified a few weeks before IdeaStream. The application form will be available now for downloading in early 2006.

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.

Timeline

(Participants must be able to participate in all required events)

• February 4 - Application forms available online
• March 11 (noon) - Applications due
• April 5 - Speakers selected and notified
• April 12-14 - Practice pitch sessions (tentative)
• April 26 - IdeaStream 2005

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 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.