Entrepreneurship and Venture Creation in Biotechnology

Catalog description

In this course, we will examine and explore the areas of entrepreneurship and venture creation as a form of innovation and the resulting impacts on society. The course will critically explore the role of entrepreneurship in creating valuable innovation, the types of entrepreneurial roles for individuals, teams, and organizations. The role of the Triple Helix will be explored in how universities, industry and governments can enable entrepreneurial efforts. The course will also look at the process and impact of venture creation on innovation of science and technology. Venture creation will include the selection of venture purpose, structures of ventures, the organizational and operational aspects of biotechnology organizations. As part of the course, we will learn the process of funding the venture through seed-stage, early rounds of funding such as A, B and C rounds and later follow-on rounds of funding. The importance of selecting a viable investment thesis and commercialization process for an organization?s science and technology will be explored. Weekly discussions will focus on key learning objectives, concepts and real-world biotechnology examples that will pull together the weekly thematic focus. We will use case studies, current examples, and group learning dynamics to pull together various topics of the course. The course will culminate in an end of the semester presentation of a team?s proposed hypothetical start-up.