What is the Maryland New Venture Fellowship for Cybersecurity?
The Maryland New Venture Fellowship for Cybersecurity gives technologists, graduate student “fellows,” and business mentors the opportunity to work together as a team to create the commercially viable solutions our nation needs to secure our information systems, utilities, infrastructure, and supply chains.
The 6-month program includes deeply valuable real-world learning opportunities and culminates in a Pitch Night competition for the chance to win funding and bring your idea to the region’s most sought-after corporate partners and government agencies.
Applications for the 2023-24 Program will open in the Fall.
How it Works
Each team consists of 3 members. Teams are paired through a virtual matchmaking event designed to match graduate fellows to the right technologists and mentors. The team will then work together over the course of 6 months to carve their technology’s path forward to commercialization.
Technologist
Your role: To drive the technological direction of the project and advance the development of the project’s technology
Who can apply: Maryland-based technology developers, including faculty and graduate students within the University System of Maryland and its incubators, who are developing technologies in the field of cybersecurity
Benefits: Free education and support from renowned business leaders and top-performing graduate students to get your idea to market.
Graduate Student Fellowship
Your role: To act as the business manager and develop a successful, sustainable business model or case for commercialization of the technology
Who Can Apply: Current graduate students from the University System of Maryland
Benefits: A ground-floor opportunity with some of the region’s most lucrative start-ups
Mentor
Your role: To teach, guide, and help advance the team towards commercial success
Who can apply: Seasoned entrepreneurs who have a wide range of industry and functional expertise
Additional Benefits: The opportunity to nurture the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs
What You Can Expect
Teams meet weekly using a systematic approach that includes weekly agendas, assignments, milestones, and deadlines. Mentors will use their extensive networks to help move the projects forward towards success. Fellows will get assignments from the mentors and technologists to complete.
The teams will also participate in regularly scheduled educational presentations from leading experts in areas such as finance and marketing, and will have required reading.
2022-23 Program At a Glance
| December 2 | Applications Due |
| December 5 – 7 | Applicant Interviews |
| December 16 | Applicants Selected |
| January 16 | Matchmaking Event to Form Teams |
| January 30 | Kick-Off Orientation |
| February | Educational Sessions & Weekly Team Meetings Begin |
| March | Mid-Point Reviews |
| April | Pitch Practices Begin |
| May 8 | Final Event: In-Person Pitch Competition |
About This Program
The Maryland New Venture Fellowship for Cybersecurity is a $1.3M program created in partnership with bwtech, UMBC, the University System of Maryland, and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration to fund cybersecurity entrepreneurs who are working in collaboration toward cyber solutions and technologies that impact the public. The program is supported by our generous sponsors and a 3-year grant from the US Economic Development Administration, Build to Scale Venture Challenge.
Want to Learn More? Contact Marjie Cota, Director of Entrepreneurial Services for [email protected], at 410-507-9299 or [email protected].
Sponsored by:
The program for Maryland New Venture Fellows for Cybersecurity is made possible through the support of our sponsors and the strength of the [email protected] community.