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The Center for Advancing Innovation

Join the CAI community to maximize the potential of publicly-funded breakthrough technologies that benefit society. We build companies around commercially-viable inventions and inspiring entrepreneurs.

OUR MISSION

We Ignite Entrepreneurship, Bolster
The Economy & Enable Inclusivity

Be a Catalyst for Breakthroughs!

The most paradigm-shifting, transformational inventions — including the Internet, GPS and cancer vaccines — have come out of government funded Research and Development (R&D). Yet, the majority of US taxpayers’ R&D investment, $140 billion per year, is untapped; less than 0.1% of inventions become products.

The Center for Advancing Innovation (CAI) harvests value from these inventions by putting them into the hands of hard-working, brilliant entrepreneurs to boost economic growth, create knowledge-based jobs and launch new markets.

Our Awards

Startup Challenges

Our global innovation challenges feature federally-funded, commercially-viable inventions where the
goal is to launch impactful companies around challenge inventions.

Global Health
Innovation Challenge II
Global Health
Innovation Challenge
Innovate Children's
Health Challenge II
Innovate Children's
Health Challenge
SCALE
Challenge
Brain
Race
Freedom from Cancer
Startup Challenge
Virginia Beach Bio
Innovation Challenge
Space
Race
Nano Startup
Challenge in Cancer
Neuro
Startup Challenge
Breast Cancer
Startup Challenge

Why you should join the startup challenge

VIEW ALL STARTUP CHALLENGES

Our Partnerships In Action

We are a catalyst to maximize the potential of publicly-funded breakthrough
technologies that benefit society.

4000+

Entrepreneurs
Trained

430+

Startups
Launched

70%

Are Minority
or Woman-Led

$2 Billion+

US Dollars Raised
by CAI Startups

2000+

Jobs Created
by CAI Startups

How We Launch Startups

The Center for Advancing Innovation’s startup challenges begin with a planning
phase followed by our virtual accelerator program

Phase 0:
Enter Challenge

  • Choose one to three inventions
  • Sign CDA & Founder’s Agreement
  • Provide resumes and/or LinkedIn

Phase 1:
Elevator Speech

  • Create 2-minute elevator pitch recorded video
  • Provide 350-word executive summary
  • Public voting on YouTube

Phase 2:
Business Plan

  • Develop 10-page business plan & 10-page pitch deck
  • Perform live pitch (web conference)
  • ​Incorporate startup

Phase 3:
Startup

  • License invention
  • Apply for dilutive/non-dilutive funding
  • Finalize management team

Our Partners

Podcast

Watch Our Latest Podcast Episodes

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Our Featured News

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