Maryland Launch Fund
Maryland Launch Fund
Resources from the USM Innovation Collective
The University System of Maryland (USM) provides inventors, entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses with a constellation of resources. The navigable, clickable graphic below shows how these resources related to each other and to the unique assets — Research & Innovation, Training & Talent, and Places & Spaces — that the USM leverages to support the journey from discovery to idea and impact.
Selected Widely Accessible Resources
Eight selected expansive resources are below — you don’t have to be a student or faculty member to access them! You can also view a more detailed breakdown of resources on the USM Innovation Collective Resource Guide on the Maryland Entrepreneur Hub.
- The Maryland Small Business Development Centers, which empower current and aspiring business owners by providing them compassionate, informed, objective, and professional consulting and training; and by connecting them with others throughout our state who can intelligently move their dreams to reality. The Maryland Business Opportunity Center may be of particular interest, as they offer subject matter expert services as well, such as legal, accounting, etc.
- The Maryland Innovation Extension, which includes Startup Fundamentals Workshops, with upcoming virtual programs and video archives.
- I-Corps, which trains entrepreneurs in customer discovery to uncover market potential
- Maryland New Venture Program, an immersive 12-week program that helps you validate your concept and develop a compelling business pitch
- Salisbury University’s Shore Hatchery, which provides up to $200,000 annually in prize money via fall and spring business plan competitions.
- Towson University’s StarTUp Accelerator, which provides mentoring, space, and a $10k prize to accepted ventures.
- Maryland Technical Internship Program (MTIP), which provides reimbursement for interns.
- Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS), which provides funding for university-based research projects that help the companies develop new products.
- Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic, which provides pro bono legal help.
- The $16M USM Momentum Fund, which invests in USM-related startups, including those led by alum and located in USM spaces.
- USM Launch Fund, which provides grant funding for USM-related ventures, including those led by alum and located in USM spaces.
- Incubators and other places where you can plug into the USM community (map, also below)
Please direct any questions to Lindsay Ryan at launch@usmd.edu.
The University System of Maryland comprises 12 public universities, three regional higher education centers, and more than 200,000 people—students, faculty, and staff—dedicated to pursuing knowledge, advancing discovery, improving lives, and strengthening communities across the state and around the world.
