TechLaunch: From invention to impact

The first edition of TechLaunch is set to start in September 2025. The first batch of entrepreneurial teams has already been selected. Yet, up until June 30, you can still apply to join this intensive online advanced hands-on training with a one-week residence at UT, and get to transform your cutting-edge research into market-ready solutions.

Scroll down to learn more!

Highlights:

Groundbreaking, hands-on online advanced training program inspired by the successful NSF I-Corps^TM program in the United States: Certified U.S. instructors will support participants in Portugal in conducting deep customer discovery to explore the commercial viability of their deep technology solutions and spur innovation in the marketplace.
One-week residence at UT Austin: All selected teams will have the opportunity to spend a week at The University of Texas at Austin to engage in additional customer discovery activities and participate in the program’s Closing Session. This trip will be fully funded by the UT Austin Portugal Program.

TechLaunch’25 – Program

September 19, 2025 – November 14, 2025

Please note that the schedule might be subject to a few adjustments.

(Click on the left side boxes for an overview of each session’s content)

Pre-Launch event

September 19 (Remote Only)

5 p.m. – 6.30 p.m. (Lisbon time)

Intro to training team & program logistics and expectations
Intro to teams
Overview of tools (LPC and Google Drive)
Who and How to get initial interviews set up

Opening workshops

October 6 – 10 (Remote only)

3.00 p.m. – 7.00 p.m. (Lisbon time)

(session on Mon/Wed/Fri; office hours and interviewing days on Tue/Thu – 1 hour)

Business Model Canvas overview
Customer discovery best practices workshop
Office hours
Teams presentations
Customer segments and ecosystems
Office Hours
Team presentations
Value propositions
Preparing for webinar 1

Webinars

October 17, 24, 31 & November 7 (Fridays) (Remote only)

5 p.m. – 6.30 p.m. (Lisbon time)

Presentations
Lectures*

*Lectures will be led by one instructor each week (alternating)

- Review CS and VPs = workshop
- Customer Relationships
- Review CRs and Intro Channels
- Review Channels and Storytelling

Fridays

Presentations
Lectures*

*Lectures will be led by one instructor each week (alternating)

- Review CS and VPs = workshop
- Customer Relationships
- Review CRs and Intro Channels
- Review Channels and Storytelling

Closing Week at UT Austin

November 11 – 14 (In-person only) (excluding travel days)

Detailed schedule to be provided later on

Welcoming and logistics
Individual office hours assigned to instructors for 1-1 discussions and presentation preparation
Customer discovery at UT Austin
Site visits
Team presentations
Closing

Overview

The UT Austin Portugal Program fosters entrepreneurial thinking in academic research to create a thriving innovation ecosystem throughout Portugal.

TechLaunch provides an introductory foundation for participants to explore the viability of business ideas. This bootcamp is open to all entrepreneurial minds — researchers, engineers, scientists, artists, musicians, and business and creative minds — who are ready to solve problems and turn their ideas into potential businesses.

The bootcamp is intentionally oriented to simulate the time- and cash-constrained environments in which startups operate, with instructors who will push, challenge, and question your business idea to provide direct, open, and constructive feedback. Teams will conduct customer discovery interviews to gain real-world insight into their customer bases and learn how to adjust their proposed business models based on market needs.

What can you expect from this advanced training program

Nine out of ten startups fail.

Half of all failures are attributed to the lack of market need for the product or service.

You’ll explore the viability of your business ideas through the customer discovery process, gain real-world insight into customer bases, and learn how to adjust your proposed business model based on market needs.

TechLaunch helps you learn the ropes of entrepreneurship, understand industry requirements and challenges, and ultimately transform your research from ideation to commercialization.

How? By:

Learning entrepreneurial skills to transform your cutting-edge research from invention to impact.
Developing an understanding of your research’s commercial value.
Mastering the customer discovery process to explore and understand your research’s commercial value.
Understanding industry requirements and challenges.
Learning how to establish product-market fit, how to adjust and validate your proposed business model based on market need, and how to find potential beachhead markets for your technology.
Validating your business model, learning how to commercialize technology, and overcome barriers to its adoption.
Improving your odds for commercial success and expanding your network of peers, mentors, customers, and potential investors.

Eligible Applicants:

To participate, you must apply as a team. Applicant teams must be affiliated to universities, research labs, interface institutions or companies based in Portugal. Each team should have 2 to 4 participants. There are three types of team members: Entrepreneurial Lead (EL), Technical Lead (TL), and Team Mentor (TM), plus any additional co-Entrepreneurial Leads (co-ELs), co-Technical Leads (co-TLs), or co-Team Mentors (co-TMs). At least one EL and one TL are mandatory for a team to be eligible.

The EL should be a postdoctoral scholar, graduate, or other student or other personnel with relevant knowledge of the technology and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation. This role is responsible for the transition of technology should the project demonstrate the potential for commercial viability.
The TL will typically be a faculty member, senior research scientist, or postdoctoral scholar with technical expertise in the team’s technology. This role also serves as the proposal Principal Investigator (PI).
The TM will typically be an experienced entrepreneur with proximity to the institution and previous experience in transitioning technology out of academic labs and into the commercialization process; they must be a third-party resource. This role is responsible for advising the team through the TechLaunch process and helping the team navigate the business ecosystem.

Other Team Requirements:

Relentless commitment
- Significant resources are invested to deploy TechLaunch. No tuition fees will be charged to participants. By applying to this course, you are committing whatever time and effort is required to complete the work that must be done. Teams are required to participate in all sessions and conduct a minimum of 100 customer discovery interviews by the end of this bootcamp. No exceptions except in case of force majeure (extraordinary event or circumstance beyond your control). Hence, before applying, make sure that all team members can commit to this course.
Deep tech innovation
- Business idea should be based on a technology resulting from R&D&I activities.
- Technical proficiency of research or innovation, with an idea to incorporate the research or innovation into a product or service.
- Rights to practice intellectual property of the technology whose market the team is exploring.

Application Period

You can still apply until June 30, 2025.

Closed

Success Stories

Check out the latest success story of a UT Austin Portugal team admitted into NSF’s I-Corps^TM program: Advancing Cancer Treatment: UT Austin Team Pioneers Real-Time Proton Therapy Monitoring

Curious about other success cases? Click here.

Instructors

More information soon.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

(Click on the left side boxes for an overview of each FAQs’ content)

What is deep tech? How is it defined for TechLaunch?

Deep technology (deep tech) describes technologically based enterprises that work to overcome scientific and/or engineering challenges through fostering innovative solutions and approaches. Deep tech centers research and development focused on the successful commercialization of innovative ideas and valuable intellectual property.

What is the time commitment for the TechLaunch bootcamp?

This program requires a substantial time commitment. All team members are required to attend program sessions, however, the time investment varies for each role. Team Mentors (TMs) will commit approximately 5-10 hours/week, Technical Leads (TLs) will commit approximately 10 hours/week, and Entrepreneurial Leads (ELs) will commit approximately 30 hours/week to TechLaunch programming and customer discovery.

Can teams not affiliated with a university in Portugal apply to participate in the TechLaunch bootcamp?

Yes, the TechLaunch bootcamp is open to individuals affiliated not only to universities but also research labs, interface institutions and companies, as long as those organizations are based in Portugal.

How many customer discovery interviews are required for each team?

Teams are required to participate in all sessions and conduct a minimum of 100 customer discovery interviews by the closing workshop.

What does a TechLaunch team look like?

Each team should have 2 to 4 members. There are three types of team members: Entrepreneurial Lead (EL), Technical Lead (TL), and Team Mentor (TM), plus any additional co-Entrepreneurial Leads (co-ELs), co-Technical Leads (co-TLs), or co-Team Mentors (co-TMs). At least one EL and one TL are mandatory for a team to be elegible.

Entrepreneurial Leads should be a postdoctoral scholar, graduate, or other student or other personnel with relevant knowledge of the technology and a deep commitment to investigate the commercial landscape surrounding the innovation. This role is responsible for the transition of technology should the project demonstrate the potential for commercial viability.

The Technical Lead will typically be a faculty member, senior research scientist, or postdoctoral scholar with technical expertise in the team’s technology. This role also serves as the proposal Principal Investigator (PI).

The Team Mentor will typically be an experienced entrepreneur with proximity to the institution and previous experience in transitioning technology out of academic labs and into the commercialization process; they must be a third-party resource. This role is responsible for advising the team through the TechLaunch process and helping the team navigate the business ecosystem.

Is a Team Mentor (TM) needed for participation in TechLaunch?

In most cases, teams perform better if they have a TM. Hence, TMs are highly recommended but not mandatory. Teams do not have to identify a mentor prior to program application. Teams can apply with one EL and one TL and try to find a TM before the bootcamp’s kickoff.

Is there anyone that can help me with my application?

Yes, our team can assist with program applications. Please contact Marco Bravo, Co-Principal Investigator and Executive Director at UT Austin (bravo@austin.utexas.edu).

What if the faculty member doesn’t have time to participate in this bootcamp?

If a faculty member does not have the time to participate in the TechLaunch bootcamp, they can consider involving a co-investigator or collaborator who can take on the role of the Technical Lead (TL) or Principal Investigator (PI). The TL/PI is responsible for representing the academic/research institution/company and overseeing the project. It is crucial to identify someone who has the necessary time availability, expertise, and commitment to fulfill the responsibilities of the TL/PI role.

What does an eligible team look like?

TechLaunch teams will have 2-4 members who can participate in all interviews, office hours, and online sessions workshops, and customer discovery efforts; proficiency in the research or innovation, with an idea to incorporate it into a product or service; and the rights to practice intellectual property. Teams must have at least one EL and one TL.

The innovation or research should be R&D&I-based intellectual property; demonstrate promise for commercialization; and/or be a “deep tech discovery” from fundamental STEM-based research.

Past Info Session

The UT Austin Portugal Program organized an Online Info Session on October 23, 2024.

Contacts

For any further queries, send an email to Marco Bravo, Co-Principal Investigator and Executive Director at UT Austin – bravo@austin.utexas.edu.

UT Austin Portugal