RAPID: Connecting Early Stage Capital to the Deep Tech Innovation Ecosystem

The technologies under development in the deep tech space have the potential to radically transform and disrupt a wide variety of industries. The outcome of this project would be to promote discovery and understanding of technologies related to the defined ten technology focus areas. These advancements, with the assistance of angel investor capital, will lead to new products and services in fields as varied as artificial intelligence, astronomy, biotechnology, climate modeling, cybersecurity, drug discovery and development, energy storage and conversion, genomics, materials science, quantum computing, space exploration, and drug development, etc. This project is designed to better educate the angel investor community on the benefits of deep tech investments with the intention of increasing the amount of private capital available for deployment in the deep tech sector. To achieve this, the following three project activities will be undertaken: (1) Data Collection: Engage in a data collection effort to better understand how angel investors are currently investing in Deep Tech. (2) Investor Education: Develop a series of educational programs to expose angel investors to the technology and commercialization potential of Deep Tech. (3) Investor Activation: Introduce angel investors to Deep Tech start-ups through regional convenings, the ACA annual Summit, and the ACA's national syndication effort. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.