The course is split into four single-day workshops. They cover:

  • Workshop 1: Diagnosing opportunities
    • Overview of the development and commercialisation process
    • The realities of the spin-out journey (case stories)
    • Diagnosing the opportunity – needs, barriers and limitations, solution routes
    • Exploring the market opportunity and applications to target first
    • Customer segmentation and personas
    • Competitor analysis and competitive advantage
  • Workshop 2: Accelerating development
    • Overview of the scoping process
    • Exploring the total business system for ‘musts, gaps and risks’
    • Designing and executing market, customer and user research
    • Freedom to operate and protecting IP
    • Accelerating development, managing and mitigating risk
    • Key milestones and action planning
    • Introduction to business planning
  • Workshop 3: Business planning and business building
    • Building a credible team
    • Market engagement – how and when
    • Prototyping and testing
    • Business modelling
    • Brand building
    • Writing the business plan
  • Workshop 4: Finance and fundraising
    • Introduction to financial statements and budgeting
    • Overview of the funding requirements of a business, and how this evolves
    • Building a cash-flow projection
    • Different sources of funding, different types of investors and what they look for
    • The fundraising process – step by step
    • Avoiding the pitfalls and closing the deal
    • Building and managing relationships with important investors
    • Responsibilities and accountabilities of Directors
    • ‘Pitch school’ – build and deliver your winning pitch.