Fred Patterson Articles

The Role of Small Business in Unmanned Systems Development - Click To Read Article
Getting funding for developing technology is tough, always has been and always will be. Unmanned systems (robotic and remote control) technology is no exception, but it has an advantage: there is great interest in having machines do work in hazardous situations where human safety is at risk. Who gets the contracts for developing these new technologies that the DOD says it wants? Federal investment in research and development has always focused on big business and top-tier prime contractors. This article shows how small businesses can avail themselves of opportunities created just for them via Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR).

PREPARE to Fund Your Technology Development - Click To Read Article
Finding funding for technology development can be a daunting process. Sources of funding, which include Federal Grants, State economic development funds, debt financing from investment banks, and equity funding from Angels or Venture Capital, will use some form of rating to determine your suitability for funding. This article presents a schema for evaluating a venture's "Funding Readiness Level (FRL) ®", which includes the market readiness of the technology or "Technology Readiness Level (TRL)", the maturity of the business or "Business Readiness Level (BRL)", and the ability of the venture to manage the deal process and negotiate in its own best interest or "Dealsmanship". (This article appears in the Jan/Feb 2006 issue of The Austin Business District magazine.)


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