CEI
Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation
about
The Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation (CEI) is an indispensable part of the Institute, operating as the Institute’s internal division, fostering links between research, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Through its work, the CEI focuses on designing and delivering educational components, managing intellectual property, and business development.
The CEI has a goal to support Skoltech by providing students and faculty with skills necessary in entrepreneurship and innovation, engaging them in E&I activities, building links between Skoltech and Skolkovo, Russia and beyond, and by accelerating research results toward commercialization and broader social impact.
The CEI has a goal to support Skoltech by providing students and faculty with skills necessary in entrepreneurship and innovation, engaging them in E&I activities, building links between Skoltech and Skolkovo, Russia and beyond, and by accelerating research results toward commercialization and broader social impact.
- education
- ip management
- business development
products
Skoltech generates its own self-sustaining innovation ecosystem with an eye to narrowing the gap between research and industry in a rapidly changing technology landscape.
As an innovation-driven university, Skoltech has a mission to bring together the intellectual traditions and best practices in science and technology to generate new innovative products for the benefit of the society.
As an innovation-driven university, Skoltech has a mission to bring together the intellectual traditions and best practices in science and technology to generate new innovative products for the benefit of the society.
1
value creation
2
products
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value
- Professional E&I Education
Education & Training programs- Personnel and Leaders for new economy
- Advisory & Consulting
- Vendor-free consulting services
- Competitive edge for all groups of partners
- Industrial Partnerships
- Industry-funded Research & Development
- Innovative technologies development
- Technology Licensing
- Intellectual Property Management
- Intellectual Property commercialisation inflow
- New enterprises setup and support
- Technological acceleration programs
- Technological startups number to grow
EDU
education & training
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knowledge transfer
KTO
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vendor-free consulting
VFC
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industrial innovation
IND
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startups acceleration
ACC
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Academic
Identification of RIA
Organisational consulting
Industrial partnerships
Incubation
more
Training
IP protection
Technology consulting
Industrial labs & spinoffs
Pre- acceleration
more
Certification
IP commercialization
Investment consulting
Technological brokerage
Acceleration
Academic
Skoltech has a goal to become the first choice university providing elite, research intense education for the
brightest BSc, MSc, PhD students – future leaders in science, technology, and business, capable of working in a rapidly changing research and technology landscape. With a special focus on education on the skills of innovation and entrepreneurship, our goal is to help our graduates learn how to innovate and develop self-confidence, skills and competencies to tackle societal challenges. The cornerstone of Skoltech education is the combination of a variety of courses in cutting-edge fields of science and technology with advanced training in entrepreneurship and innovation, active participation in R&D projects carried out by the Centers and industry-oriented labs. Being tailored to the six target domains, the programs bring together the scientific and technical fundamentals necessary for innovation, unifying “scientific knowledge” with “useful knowledge”. Entrepreneurship and Innovation courses have been designed so that to show how rewarding it could be to do science – not just science for the sake of science, but to actually bring real benefits to people in the real world.
What are the courses to look out for? Startup Workshop (SUW), Startup Founders Workshop (SFW), Innovation Workshop, Startup Workshop (for MSc and PhD students), and others.
brightest BSc, MSc, PhD students – future leaders in science, technology, and business, capable of working in a rapidly changing research and technology landscape. With a special focus on education on the skills of innovation and entrepreneurship, our goal is to help our graduates learn how to innovate and develop self-confidence, skills and competencies to tackle societal challenges. The cornerstone of Skoltech education is the combination of a variety of courses in cutting-edge fields of science and technology with advanced training in entrepreneurship and innovation, active participation in R&D projects carried out by the Centers and industry-oriented labs. Being tailored to the six target domains, the programs bring together the scientific and technical fundamentals necessary for innovation, unifying “scientific knowledge” with “useful knowledge”. Entrepreneurship and Innovation courses have been designed so that to show how rewarding it could be to do science – not just science for the sake of science, but to actually bring real benefits to people in the real world.
What are the courses to look out for? Startup Workshop (SUW), Startup Founders Workshop (SFW), Innovation Workshop, Startup Workshop (for MSc and PhD students), and others.
Identification of RIA
KTO identifies and assesses patentability of technologies and commercial potential of RIA; provides expertise with design, execution and audit of IP strategy for startups, industrial projects, grant-supported projects, joint research projects, and internal research; plans necessary IP activities in advance to avoid any IP disputes; facilitates conclusion of joint invention agreements, industrial contracts, and investment agreements in the IP domain.
IP protection
KTO works with prominent patent attorneys for an in-depth patent landscaping and adjusting research or startup development following insights from existing patents and prior art; provides preliminary protection of IP utilizing Nondisclosure Agreements and provisional patent applications to guarantee safe communication with potential clients, investors, partners; provides analysis for RIA and adjusts the IP strategy accordingly; enables the execution of IP strategy to comply with the necessary regulations of IP legislation; files patents, utility models, industrial designs, and/or registries trademarks, software, databases, topology of integrated circuits and establishes know-how (trade secret regime); coordinates prosecution process ensuring the granting of IP rights protection; controls the prolongation and enforcement of granted IP rights.
IP commercialization
KTO executes licensing of IP to startups, in compliance with investment or licensing agreements; finds potential licensees, negotiates terms and conditions, prepares licensing agreements; arranges most suitable financial conditions; ensures IP compliance for grant-supported and industrial projects by establishing license agreement towards dedicated stakeholders; negotiates and implements mutually beneficial licensing arrangements with industrial partners; controls licensing agreements and revenue distribution in accordance with Skoltech IP Policy; maintains technology clustered IP portfolio for use in attracting grants and industrial partners.
Since 2013, the patent filing reached a total of 320 applications, including trademarks, software and database registrations, in 2022. Active Skoltech patent portfolio includes 174 patents among which 25% are licensed.
Since 2013, the patent filing reached a total of 320 applications, including trademarks, software and database registrations, in 2022. Active Skoltech patent portfolio includes 174 patents among which 25% are licensed.
Organisational consulting
Consulting services to industrial, technology partners and start-ups of Skoltech on building effective management systems (team forming, distribution of functions, powers, responsibilities, financial incentives, building business process systems, optimal systems for information exchange and document flow, systems for forecasting, planning, and analyzing innovative technologies development and implementation.
Technology consulting
Advising on the innovative technologies’ development, methods for optimizing or modernizing the technological and production processes of a technological enterprise, introducing qualitative changes in their sequence and content of work when releasing innovative products. Our services include carrying out work on technological audit and comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of innovative technologies (‘vendor-free’) with the issuance of relevant reports for our partners and other market participants.
Investment consulting
Consulting services for the development of an investment strategy and an asset development plan, efficient use of own resources, and attraction of external investments for the development of start-ups and spinoffs of Skoltech. We help develop recommendations on how to use funds to invest in innovative projects and prepare justifications for obtaining funding for innovative technology companies’ development.
Industrial partnerships
CEI promotes commercialization and implementation of the Institute's Research and Project Centers results in the framework of interaction with large companies, development institutions and venture funds. We assist Skoltech startups as well, increasing their investment attractiveness, and encourages industrial partners to test the technology and/or investment in development.
Industrial labs & spinoffs
As a part of CEI activities, we ensure the creation of innovative products with an objective quantifiable market value, providing operational support in terms of planning, increasing sales, marketing, and performing all the duties necessary to increase the investment attractiveness of the products. The result of this activity is often the creation of a joint laboratory with industrial partners or the creation of a separate company (spin-off) with technological partners to commercialize innovative technology. As a successful example - case of the NTI Competence Center for wireless communication and the Internet of Things and MTS for test and use of the 5G technology.
Technological brokerage
CEI provides a service for finding technological solutions for Russian (foreign) public and private organizations and provides the Institute's projects with the necessary financial and consulting support in the development of an innovative product, considering the needs of the industrial partners.
Incubation
CEI provides support helping to turn entrepreneurial academics into academic entrepreneurs starting technological business. Our incubation programs for students, researchers and scientists consist of hands-on expert sessions with technological entrepreneurs, growth sessions, meetups and networking events that connect you to experienced mentors, relevant service providers, business angels and potential pre-seed and seed investors.
Pre-acceleration
We help students, researchers, and scientists to be prepared for business development of the technological startup established. Our pre-acceleration programs consist of educational part combined with hands-on expert sessions and networking events that ensure Skoltech startup or spinoff success, connecting them to experienced mentors and trackers, business angels and potential pre-seed and seed investors, as well as industrial and technological partners links needed for effective innovative products development.
Acceleration
Full cycle of technological acceleration – from Incubation to Activation consist of the existing CEI acceleration programs as well as new formats in progress - all ensure systematic approach of the Skoltech technological startups development and form new ‘best practice’ of technological acceleration and startups development to embrace by others.
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programs
Skoltech offers different ways to commercialize a technology. In order to address these multiple opportunities, the CEI has established several funnels applying various approaches via number of programs:
- The “scientific” funnel works closely with the faculty and researchers and offers a venture funding incubation program focused on the commercialization of R&D activity via establishing Skoltech startups - Skoltech Translational Research and Innovation Program (STRIP).
- The “industrial” funnel deals with industrial and technological partners to produce spin-offs and setting up laboratories together.
- The “student” funnel includes a variety of unique programs for MS and PhD students, both academic and extracurricular, such as Innovation Workshop, Triple Point, Student Startup Club, and many more.
Innovation
Workshopstudent
Translational Research & Innovation Programscientific
Triple Point
Student startup competitionstudent
Startup Founders WorkshopstudentMore information 
Startup
WorkshopscientificMore information 
Student Startup
Club
studentMore information
startups
Skoltech acts as a catalyst to cultivate cutting-edge research in advanced areas of critical importance for Russia, stimulate entrepreneurial activity and educate internationally competitive specialists capable of working in a rapidly changing research and technology landscape. In this paradigm, the CEI has a mission to nurture a new generation of tech entrepreneurs.
Working shoulder to shoulder with the Skoltech Faculty and the Department of Industrial Programs the Business Development team of CEI has all the tools to solve key pain points of a startup, given the peculiarities of the Russian venture capital market.
The portfolio of Skoltech associated startups with Sk residence is constantly expanding, having reached 85 as of November, 2022.
39% of companies are founded or co-founded by Skoltech students or alumni.
Working shoulder to shoulder with the Skoltech Faculty and the Department of Industrial Programs the Business Development team of CEI has all the tools to solve key pain points of a startup, given the peculiarities of the Russian venture capital market.
The portfolio of Skoltech associated startups with Sk residence is constantly expanding, having reached 85 as of November, 2022.
39% of companies are founded or co-founded by Skoltech students or alumni.
85
Startups established by Skoltech scientists to date.
faq
- A total of five million rubles for R&D, with four million rubles being allocated in the first year, followed by a million rubles in the second. Skoltech also pays each team in the acceleration phase;
- Free support for STRIP projects, including
2) PR & marketing;
3) IP application support;
4) Skolkovo participant status application support.
- Mentoring sessions with leading hi-tech entrepreneurs;
- Support in IP protection, licensing, etc.;
- Access to local and foreign industry;
- Networking;
- Access to Skoltech/Skolkovo facilities;
- Easy track to Skolkovo Foundation residency;
- Grant financing.
- Identification, development and implementation of patentable and commercially viable results of intellectual activities of the academic personnel and (or) students;
- Market analysis;
- Mentorship of projects applying for the status of Participant;
- Search for potential investors among investment funds, business angels, etc, as well as strategic partners;
- Commercialization of results of intellectual activities;
- Development of programs for incubation and acceleration of projects;
- Back office services.
Being a part of the Skolkovo ecosystem, the CEI strengthens a global partnership network, including via the Business Development department. On the one hand, Business Development has a mission to turn science into business, on the other hand, the team maintains partnership with those who are in need of novel technologies.
Business Development focuses on two types of partnership, the first one being the private commercial sector and the second – government agencies.
In this framework, the department looks for:
Business Development focuses on two types of partnership, the first one being the private commercial sector and the second – government agencies.
In this framework, the department looks for:
- Potential investors among investment funds or business angels to raise financing for Skoltech teams that already have a minimum viable product (MVP) and their first sales;
- Strategic partners if a Skoltech team has a product that they can pilot through a certain retailer or manufacturer.
Attracting funding, including search for grants for project development and assistance in organizing and conducting negotiations with potential investors, support and development funds;
Search for clients for pilot projects, organizing trial sales:
Search for clients for pilot projects, organizing trial sales:
- Assistance in preparing the necessary documents and materials, arranging and holding negotiations with state corporations and development institutes, as well as potential business customers.
- Assistance in finding internship programs for project team members.
- Assistance in the search and selection of specialized events;
- Organization of the integration process with PR services of Skoltech, Skolkovo;
- Providing opportunities to use Skoltech partnerships, as well as the networking of alumni, Skoltech professors, and Skoltech management.
- Checking a project business case, expert assessment of the relevance of the idea, demand for the solution, compliance with market objectives and team competencies;
- Consulting and services for the commercialization of the product, including assistance in the development of the company's strategy, project development plan, organization of research, project marketing;
- Development of entrepreneurial competence skills in the project team.
The program starts with the selection of projects participating in the contest. To this end, a commission comprising leading scientists and experts – internal and external – is formed.
The selection process involves two rounds of pre-proposals and ends with experts picking a total of 10 best projects.
As soon as experts have made their choice, a roadmap is agreed, and budget is released for proof of concept studies. Research teams also get mentorship support. To date, there are two mentors assigned to each project. They are selected from among scientists and entrepreneurs from around the world that have a vast experience in commercializing R&D.
Following the selection process, the teams are finally able to kick off the implementation phase – the R&D activity in STRIP. The first year of the program ends with a so-called demo day, where all these 10 projects demonstrate their product.
From five to seven projects are then selected for the second year, which is pre-seed acceleration, i.e. the participating teams will learn how to capitalize on their products: how to sell their product, how to analyze the market, how to position themselves and their product in the market, and how to develop a business model.
This phase also includes meetings of research teams with potential end-users interested in their projects, which may end up with a new piece of IP, a sponsored R&D contract from a partner in the industry, a licensing agreement or even a startup.
The second year culminates in another demo day, which may lead the most successful projects to the seed stage.
The selection process involves two rounds of pre-proposals and ends with experts picking a total of 10 best projects.
As soon as experts have made their choice, a roadmap is agreed, and budget is released for proof of concept studies. Research teams also get mentorship support. To date, there are two mentors assigned to each project. They are selected from among scientists and entrepreneurs from around the world that have a vast experience in commercializing R&D.
Following the selection process, the teams are finally able to kick off the implementation phase – the R&D activity in STRIP. The first year of the program ends with a so-called demo day, where all these 10 projects demonstrate their product.
From five to seven projects are then selected for the second year, which is pre-seed acceleration, i.e. the participating teams will learn how to capitalize on their products: how to sell their product, how to analyze the market, how to position themselves and their product in the market, and how to develop a business model.
This phase also includes meetings of research teams with potential end-users interested in their projects, which may end up with a new piece of IP, a sponsored R&D contract from a partner in the industry, a licensing agreement or even a startup.
The second year culminates in another demo day, which may lead the most successful projects to the seed stage.
At the beginning:
- Identifying and assessing patentability and commercial potential of an invention;
- Providing expertise with design and audit of IP strategy for startups, industrial projects, grant-supported projects, joint research projects, and internal research;
- Planning necessary IP activities in advance to exclude any confusion around IP;
- Facilitating ratification of joint invention agreements, industrial contracts, and investment agreements in the IP domain.
Contact us in any way convenient for you. We will discuss everything and help you.
contacts
e-mail:
cei@skoltech.ru
adress:
Bolshoy Boulevard 30, bld. 1
Moscow
cei@skoltech.ru
adress:
Bolshoy Boulevard 30, bld. 1
Moscow
