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What is the Maryland New Venture Program?

The Maryland New Venture program provides entrepreneurs and technologists with an opportunity to determine whether big technology idea is commercially viable.  

The program pairs a technologist/entrepreneur with UMBC graduate student “fellows” and an experienced business mentor to collaborate as a team on a technology solution that impacts society. The team works together to further develop their technology’s path forward toward commercialization and create a pitch that validates its market viability.

Only technology solutions that impact society’s need for secure information systems, utilities, infrastructure, and supply chains are considered for this program. 

The Maryland New Venture Program, presented by bwtech, is an intense four-month program that provides deeply valuable, real-world learning opportunities. It culminates in a Pitch Night competition, where the teams present their findings to a panel of experts for the chance to win funding and the opportunity to bring their great idea to the region’s most sought-after corporate partners and government agencies.

Program Details

Once the technology solution ideas are selected and the technologist/entrepreneurs are notified, they will be paired with appropriate Fellow Graduate Students and Mentors. 

Teams will meet virtually on Monday evenings as well as participate in weekly working meetings with their teams using a systematic approach that includes weekly agendas, assignments, milestones, and deadlines. 

Mentors will use their extensive networks to help advance the projects toward commercial success. 

The Fellow Graduate Students will complete assignments from the technologists and mentors to support the validation of the idea and develop a pitch deck that includes customer discovery interviews, market research, pricing and licensing, building a budget, and implementation plans for the idea. 

All team members will participate in educational presentations from leading experts in areas such as finance and marketing, and will have required reading.

Introducing the 2024 Maryland New Venture Teams!

Program Curriculum

Questions?

Contact Marjie Cota, Director of Entrepreneurial Services at bwtech.

Sponsored by:

Maryland New Venture is made possible through the support of our sponsors and the strength of the bwtech@UMBC community.