Internal Resources
Duck Tank
Got an idea that's ready for prime time? Apply to compete in this year's Duck Tank, hosted by the Oregon Executive MBA Alumni Chapter. It's a great opportunity to stress-test your concept in a friendly environment and get valuable feedback from the experienced entrepreneurs and investors in this year's judges panel.
New Venture Championship
NVC is an annual international business competition that provides 16 teams with opportunities to present in front of esteemed judges during various rounds of competition. (Student only competition.)
Provost's Innovation Challenge
The Provost’s Innovation Challenge (formerly called QuackHatch) is a cross-campus business idea competition open to University of Oregon students of all majors. Pitch your business idea for a chance to win part of a $10,000 cash pool available in seed funding.
RAINmaker Fund
The RAINMaker Fund offers $5,000 grants to University of Oregon student-led ventures, enabling them to pursue their next milestone and to connect with RAIN Eugene. (Student funding only.)
Spark Grants provide limited funding for UO students to quickly examine the feasibility of a potential idea by connecting with potential customers, developing a rough prototype, and/or digging deep into the competition. (Student funding only.)
UROP Mini-grant Program
The UROP mini-grant program provides grants of up to $1,000 that may be used by undergraduate award recipients to purchase materials, equipment, and supplies that are necessary to complete a project and/or assist with travel expenses related to a research project. (Student funding only.)
VPRI Undergraduate Fellowship
This fellowship awards students a $5,000 stipend for conducting research, creative scholarship, or completing work on an innovative project full-time during the summer. (Undergraduate students only.)
VPRI Innovation Fund
The UO VPRI Innovation Fund offers $25,000-$75,000 grants to cover direct costs associated with translational research projects. (Faculty only.)
Williams Fund for Undergraduate Education
The Tom and Carol Williams Fund for Undergraduate Education was established to provide financial support for initiatives that enhance the quality of the educational experience for undergraduate students at UO. (Faculty only)
External Resources
Bend Venture Conference
The largest angel conference in the Pacific Northwest. (Faculty and student funding.)
Cascade Seed Fund
Oregon-based fund that invests in early-stage companies. (Faculty and student funding.)
Coast 2 Crest Fund
Early-stage funding for Lane County startups. (Faculty and student funding.)
Elevate Capital
Oregon’s first institutional venture capital fund that specifically targets investments in underserved entrepreneurs. (Faculty and student funding.)
Invent Oregon
Invent Oregon is a competition for Oregon university students with ideas for inventions to address today’s most pressing problems. Students receive up to $2,500 in development grants to take their invention from an idea to a working prototype. At the Invent Oregon Finals Competition, participants present their invention and compete for $30,000 in cash prizes. (Student only competition.)
ONAMI
The Oregon Nanoscience and Microtechnologies Institute is where academia, business and government come together to accelerate research and bring breakthrough ideas to market. ONAMI provides entrepreneurs with access to early-stage funding and mentoring by industry experts. (Faculty and student funding.)
Oregon Sports Angels
Oregon-based fund that invests in sports-based companies. (Faculty and student funding.)
Oregon Venture Fund
The Oregon Venture Fund is a venture capital fund that brings together an extraordinary group of business and technology leaders for the benefit of local entrepreneurs. Each year, OVF invests $100M in 100 local startups that create 10,000 jobs in Oregon. (Faculty and student funding.)
Portland Seed Fund
Early-stage venture fund focused on investments in Portland and the Pacific Northwest. (Faculty and student funding.)
VertueLab
VertueLab partners with funders and innovators in clean technologies to make a global environmental impact. Through a series of focused programs and funding opportunities, we advance promising technologies to market while helping innovators find the resources they need to move their vision forward. (Faculty and student funding.)