Overview

OTTED works with investment professionals, angel investors and experienced management teams to identify technologies that are appropriate for a commercialization strategy involving a start-up company.  Start-ups, by their nature, are very high-risk enterprises, so OTTED seeks to engage with experienced business professionals early-on in the process in attempt to mitigate risk factors and increase the probability of a successful venture.

To foster this process, OTTED maintains the ability to co-invest in multiple rounds of financing on an ad hoc basis in compelling value propositions led by seasoned management teams.  Typically, OTTED will initially participate as part of a syndicate in seed-stage rounds of financing totaling $500,000 to $1.5 million.  Follow-on investments in subsequent rounds are considered as the companies advance and meet defined development milestones.

Our criteria for investment are the following:

1. Potential for a technology or business concept to secure a portion of a large and growing market;
2. Vetting by investment professionals and confirmation by a willingness to co-invest with Vanderbilt University;
3. An engaged inventor group with an understanding of the expectations from both management and investors; and
4. Intellectual property which can be protected or with an obvious competitive advantage.

Particularly attractive are those start-ups that can most effectively capitalize on appropriate access to Vanderbilt resources to accelerate the development of a technology or diversify its applications.  Among the many nationally recognized trans-disciplinary centers of excellence at Vanderbilt University are:

1. The Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center
2. The Institute for Software Integrated Systems
3. W.M. Keck Foundation Free Electron Laser Center at Vanderbilt
4. Institute for Chemical Biology
5. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development
6. Center for Structural Biology
7. Center for Integrative Cognitive and Neuroscience
8. Institute for Imaging Science
9. Center for Intelligent Systems
10. Mass Spectrometry Research Center

OTTED maintains a portfolio of diverse companies that span a range of technologies including computerized surgical navigation, natural products for insect control, clinical information management systems, clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, radiation therapy and healthcare service.  See the Portfolio Companies section for a complete list.
 
We have a broad-based investment focus that seeks to move technologies and business propositions into the marketplace to maximize public benefit by the most capital efficient means possible.  For more information on how to invest in Vanderbilt technologies, please contact:

Christopher Rand, Senior Associate, Enterprise Development
1207 17th Avenue South, Suite 105
Nashville, TN   37212
Tel:      (615)343-4433
Fax:     (615)343-4419
Email: christopher.p.rand@vanderbilt.edu