Start-Ups
IMPACT enables start-ups and dynamic new companies to cost-effectively leverage the strength of a full service development and manufacturing organization.
IMPACT often works with early stage, sometimes virtual companies with limited or no development capabilities. Projects are usually targeted to achieve a valuation inflection point related to demonstrating defined proof of concept goals or prototypes. Outsourcing development is a particularly cost effective and fast option at a point where development/commercial risks are the greatest.
We help achieve launch milestones faster and with less investment by providing:
Operating Infrastructure
The IMPACT Development Facility provides functional, permitted laboratory space to conduct development experiments and activities. The facility also supports operational needs such as materials handling, shipping/receiving, waste management, safety systems, and administration needs. Our clients can also be accommodated with office/conference space for on-site management and integrated participation with development programs.
Management and Technical Resources
IMPACT offers a highly skilled and proven team of seasoned development engineers and scientists with broad capabilities to lead and execute technical programs. These resources can be rapidly deployed to meet milestones and then scaled back to minimize costs during intermediate periods.
Equipment and Tools
The IMPACT Development Facility has a wide array of process equipment (from bench to pilot scale), analytical instruments, and software tools (e.g., CFD). Mechanical, automation, and fabrication capabilities are also available. Specialized equipment needs are often accommodated via either acquisition, rental, or custom manufactured.
Strategic Technology Development Experience
The IMPACT team has collectively helped develop over 150 new technologies in the chemical, biological, pharmaceutical, metallurgical, energy, specialty materials, and electronics industries. Our experience and structured, proven methodologies provide our clients with strategic insight into successfully planning, budgeting, and executing development programs.
With IMPACT, clients take advantage of shared and already existing infrastructure and resources to accomplish their goals. There is no need to find, lease and build-out a new facility, equip and permit laboratories, recruit and train staffing – all of which lead to unnecessarily high, fixed burn rates for pre-commercial development. At IMPACT, clients have access to shared, amortized equipment/tools/licenses when needed. Technical resources can be provided in fractional FTE’s, sometimes deploying 6 or more technical specialties within a single FTE budget. These resources can also be effectively turned “on” or “off” when needed without a loss in knowledge base, allowing tight, efficient cost controls.
IMPACT’s “plug and play” infrastructure and resources allow for immediate progress toward development goals, minimizing time to market. Often times, this is critical factor in achieving commercial success. Faster is almost always better!
Also, technology development can be a risky task with unforeseen technical difficulties or problems, unrealistic schedules and budgets, poor management/execution, or an undisciplined approach leading to chaos. IMPACT’s proven work processes, experienced team, structured approach, and insight into realistic planning and avoiding pitfalls maximizes the probability of a successful outcome…on time and on budget. After all, we are entrepreneurs too and have collectively launched over 150 new technologies so we can help navigate through this risky period in a technology’s life.
IMPACT readily executes confidentiality agreements with our clients to insure that technical information is safe and protected at all times. Also, all new intellectual property (IP) created during development activities for our clients’ is owned by our clients. Having collectively been named in over 75 patents, the IMPACT team has the experience to help guide, grow, and create a strong IP portfolio.
Unfortunately, many new technology companies fail to meet their development or commercial goals on the first attempt. Often this is not due to a fundamental lack of viability or applicability of the technology. IMPACT’s experienced team and structured approach can be deployed to effectively get a program onto a milestone-driven, decision-based development track. And for technologies where it’s too late to continue the original failed approach, IMPACT’s team and resources offer an effective way to start over upon re-capitalization.
IMPACT is an entrepreneurial organization with flexibility in applying our resources to incubate new technologies with all clients including inventors, entrepreneurs, universities, national laboratories, or start-up companies. We have even internally incubated new technologies conceived here at IMPACT.
It is just a fact that sometimes our clients have great ideas but little or no working capital. Upon successful due diligence, IMPACT may consider investing in a client’s technology or providing resources in exchange for equity. Contact us to discuss further to see if we can help in this situation.
Yes. IMPACT often executes technology due diligence, either supported by the company or by investors. Due diligence can include assessment of:
- Development/Technical/Scale-up Risks
- Financial / Cost Risk
- Liability Risks
- Regulatory Challenges
- Intellectual Property Risks
- Market Opportunity / Risk
- Competitive Environment