High Alpha Innovation is excited to announce a new collaboration with the University of Notre Dame’s IDEA Center, the fundamental resource for all commercialization and entrepreneurial activities at the university. The first of its kind, this program will make investment capital available to qualified startup companies originating within Notre Dame, as well as create an on-campus venture studio that will build, staff and launch new software startups.
Notre Dame’s long history of entrepreneurship and innovation, enriched by Catholic intellectual and cultural traditions, has established it as a leading institution for research, commercialization, and company-creation acting as a worldwide force for good. This collaboration with High Alpha Innovation bolsters that track record, adding a new vehicle by which Notre Dame’s research can be put into practical use in a positive way that aligns to the institution’s mission.
Universities are hotbeds for research and commercialization, and the creation of an on-campus venture studio can advance innovation efforts by generating promising new business concepts, recruiting world-class entrepreneurs, and launching mission-driven startups with the highest probability of success. Once launched, venture studios nurture and support startups with the resources (e.g., talent, networks, and administrative support) required to succeed.
This new venture studio program will be managed by High Alpha Innovation and closely collaborate with Notre Dame faculty, alumni, students, and the broader community ecosystem to generate advantages that can increase the odds of success for its portfolio companies. The software startups emerging from the studio will focus on areas ripe for disruptive innovation; they aim to positively address some of the world’s most pressing challenges while remaining rooted in ethical best practices.
In addition, High Alpha Innovation will manage a program that supports startups emerging from the IDEA Center’s proven commercialization process, known as The Engine, with investment dollars as well as hands-on support.
According to Elliott Parker, CEO of High Alpha Innovation, this partnership creates an ideal combination: “We have a proven track record of launching and scaling impactful startup companies, and Notre Dame has long identified and acted upon the areas of greatest need – they have built the foundations for this model to thrive.”
“Developing an on-campus venture studio unlocks the power of universities to nurture and commercialize ideas into thriving businesses,” notes Matt Brady, Managing Director at High Alpha Innovation. “This collaboration is a huge step forward for both Notre Dame and High Alpha Innovation.”
“Working together with High Alpha Innovation will bring our commercialization and innovation capabilities at Notre Dame to new heights,” adds Kelley Rich, Notre Dame IDEA Center interim vice president and associate provost for innovation. “I’m excited to see the impact that it will have on Notre Dame startups, the university’s entrepreneurial alumni relationships, and the region’s innovation ecosystem as a whole.”
