Frankel Commercialization Fund
Overview | Student Participation
| Submit a Business Plan
| Current Portfolio | Advisors
The Frankel Commercialization Fund (FCF) is a pre-seed investment
fund established to identify and accelerate the commercialization
of ideas generated within the University community and the surrounding
area. The team adopts a hands-on approach to investing that
leverages the talents and resources available at the Stephen
M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan to
make a real impact for the entrepreneur and the University.
The Frankel team is actively looking for entrepreneurs seeking
pre-seed funds to turn big ideas into exceptional companies.
The goals of the FCF are to:
- Identify and enable the commercialization of research and
ideas originating within the University of Michigan and surrounding
community.
- Create a financially self-sustainable process of research
commercialization, by which exits from past investments fund
future investments.
- Provide hands-on business strategy assistance to the entrepreneur
to help position them for success.
- Enable an action-based educational experience for Ross
MBA students in early stage company formation and evaluation.
- Build excitement within the University community about
the prospects of research commercialization.
The strength of the Frankel Fund is directly derived from the
core team of Ross MBA students ("Frankel
Fellows"), selected for their depth of related prior
experience and their interest in early stage company formation.
The Frankel Fellows are organized into four investment teams
- health care, technology, consumer, and cleantech investments.
Each Frankel team may invest up to $100,000 per investment
(in multiple installments) to entrepreneurial ideas with great
potential and a vision for the future. The teams are mentored
by Tom
Porter, the Fund's managing director and executive-in-residence
at the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies at the
Ross School, and guided by an advisory
board, consisting of experienced executives in health care
and information technologies and early-stage company formation
and investing.
Student Testimonials
““More than any other extracurricular activity,
the Frankel Fund has been the highlight of my Ross education.
The opportunity to interview entrepreneurs, discuss the merits
of applicants with Frankel Advisory Board members, and attend
lectures on topics such as early-stage venture capital finance,
has provided invaluable exposure to the technology commercialization
process. I look forward to employing what I have learned as
I pursue a career in entrepreneurship.” Hanns Anders,
MBA 2009
“My experience in the Frankel Fund has without question
been the most enriching aspect of my MBA education. The unique
blend of real world experience infused with academic structure
has helped to solidify both my classroom knowledge and ability
to add value to the early-stage technology commercialization
process.” Carl Timm, Ross MBA 2007
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