Listen to SSTI's Interview with Tom Walker of i2E, Inc.
Listen to Tom Walker's response to the following questions in this clip (approximately 14 minutes):
- What is i2E's Proof-of-Concept fund and how does it fit into your overall mission?
- Tell us about the advisory services offered alongside the capital programs.
- Among your advisors, do you have people who are experienced in the industries in which you target?
- Do you have any advice to share from your experience administering i2E's capital and advisory programs?
About i2E's Technology Business Finance Program
The Technology Business Finance Program (TBFP) is a proof-of-concept fund available to Oklahoma startup companies. The business must be a technology-based company and classified as a small business based on SBA guidelines. It is designed as a catalyst for private investment capital, and has shown to be pivotal in startup funding. Since its inception in 1998, the TBFP has leveraged $30 million for every $1 of public investment. Founded in 1997, i2E was created to respond to an Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST) initiative and works directly with entrepreneurs, researchers and companies to help them commercialize their technologies, launch and grow new businesses and access needed capital.
About the Excellence in TBED Awards
The SSTI Excellence in TBED Awards recognize
exceptional achievement in addressing elements that have been found in
successful tech-based economies. These include a research base that
generates new knowledge, mechanisms for transferring knowledge into the
marketplace, an entrepreneurial culture, sources of risk capital, and a technically skilled workforce.
For more information about the SSTI Excellence in TBED Awards, visit http://www.sstiawards.org.