New Hampshire University in action

PORTSMOUTH, US: Now companies would be using university research ingredients in New Hampshire.

A team of respected New Hampshire technology entrepreneurs, led by Mark Galvin, have partnered with the University of New Hampshire (UNH) to launch a new startup business accelerator model - the New Hampshire Innovation Commercialization Center (NH-ICC).

UNH provided startup capital for the NH-ICC as well as expertise in creating the unique public-private relationship. The NH-ICC will work to facilitate the use of university research by its resident companies through licensing and royalty agreements. UNH will also provide resident companies with student research assistants and mentors from its colleges, including the Whittemore School of Business and Economics.

The goal of this new nonprofit center, which is located at the Pease Tradeport, is to create new jobs in the region and help regain traction in the New Hampshire high technology community by selecting high potential early stage companies and providing them with a combination of business resources, seed capital and “hands on involvement” by seasoned startup executives.

The economic downturn of the past two years has taken a significant toll on the New Hampshire startup community, where a host of innovative new technologies — not to mention local jobs - are languishing on the sidelines because of the lack of a viable path to commercialization,” said Mark Galvin, the founder of Whaleback Systems in Portsmouth, Cedar Point Communications in Derry and managing director of the NH-ICC. “The NH-ICC will provide a path for promising early stage companies to bring their products to market while also creating sustainable, high-value private sector jobs in the state.”

Resident companies will not only receive seed investments, but will be encouraged to use the seasoned NH-ICC staff to complete key Resident Company assignments, leveraging the staff’s expertise in go-to-market strategy, market analysis, marketing communications, sales, channels, operations, finance and human resources. In addition, the companies will share a high energy environment and business resources such as office space, meeting areas, communications’ systems and operations management services.