In close cooperation with the University based incubator in Utrecht, UtrechtInc, IDfuse developed the Science Venture program, specifically designed to facilitate entrepreneurial scientists in their challenging transition towards their own start-up.
For a scientist with a long-term paid position (or even tenure) at a knowledge institution, abandoning all that security comes at great cost. To do so for a new and risky project such as a startup involves a lot of courage. Still, the route of a startup can enable a researcher to have a lot of impact on society. Therefore, UtrechtInc has initiated the Science based validation program (formerly Science Venture program) where scientists start part-time whilst still employed at university, and thereby discover if they have a shot at finding a product/market fit. In the process, they also find out whether they want to be the main entrepreneurs themselves, or if they should be involved in a different fashion.
More information about the Science Venture program can be found on the UtrechtInc website.
