As the Director of Jon Brumley Texas Venture Labs at the McCombs School of Business, I’m often asked to share some secrets to launching and growing successful startups. My general response is a mix of “more market validation” and “build a strong team to execute.” These quips are adequate for most of the drive-by-questioning, but they mask a not-so-obvious truth that the "secret" is really not a secret – find a true market problem then match the appropriate resources towards solving it.
Since 2010, TVL has helped over 160 Austin-area startups succeed by matching them with the consulting power of student teams from across UT’s world-class graduate schools and colleges. Over 42% of these startups get new funding after completing our semester-long accelerator program.
At the conclusion of our work with these companies each semester they present their businesses and recruit investors, advisors and consultants at our showcase event, Venture Expo, with the upcoming Expo featuring 14 Austin startups spanning consumer, life sciences, tech, and services tracks.
Presentations will take place on May 4 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the AT&T Executive Center on campus and we invite Austin’s investor, business and startup communities to witness how our entrepreneurs and students collaborate to build successful, “Investor Ready" startups. Please join us afterwards for a networking reception with our entrepreneurs and students.
I hope to see you there! Reserve your seat on our RSVP page or visit our Venture Expo website for more info.