Venture Catalysts are experienced entrepreneurs who make their time and business experience available as in-house mentors to BizTech's young business clients.

Venture Catalysts are entrepreneurs who have successfully built a business, who have exited their role as the entrepreneur in that business, and who are ready to become involved in building more new businesses. Venture Catalysts commit a portion of their time to be available to BizTech's client entrepreneurs, in one-on-one or group sessions, where problems are discussed, plans are made, contacts are identified, and all the myriad issues faced by young companies are dealt with. Venture Catalysts are a complement to each client's Board of Advisors, which meets monthly to deal with strategic issues. Venture Catalysts deal more with the day-to-day issues that require a quick consult and then an action plan.

Venture Catalysts typically commit to spend a certain number of hours each week at the BizTech facility, according to a schedule or via appointment with a client. BizTech provides the Venture Catalyst with an office, telephone, and administrative support. In addition to counseling BizTech clients, Venture Catalysts also may be assigned projects: e.g., coordinating a seminar on a business topic; conducting pre-admission counseling and screening of a BizTech applicant company; screening of companies applying to present their investment opportunity to the Huntsville Angel Network.

Venture Catalysts generally do not receive compensation for the time they spend with BizTech. However, they are free to become involved with BizTech's client companies in any way they see fit, including as investors, Board members, or senior management. Several past Venture Catalysts have matched themselves with BizTech clients, and have joined the client as CEO or a principal of the company.

The Venture Catalyst concept originated at the Georgia Tech Advanced Technology Development Center in Atlanta. There, it has been successful in propelling client companies forward at increased rates of growth toward their goal of becoming successful independent businesses. The Venture Catalyst concept has been especially useful in matching experienced businesspersons with the developers of intellectual property within the Georgia Tech system. Under this model, the academic developer of the technology becomes matched with the complementary skills of a Venture Catalyst, who then takes charge of synthesizing a business model and commercializing the technology through a new business entity.

To learn how you can participate in the BizTech Venture Catalyst program, please contact Dick Reeves, BizTech CEO, at (256) 489-0103.