The Delta I-Fund is a program funded by the Delta Regional Authority to help startup companies with proof-of-concept funding and customer-validation strategies to determine if their product or service is a good idea.
If you have a company in the early, pre-revenue stages—or even just at the “idea” stage—the Delta I-Fund program offers you a way to work with skilled mentors on a structured path of determining whether your idea could be marketable and workable in the real world.
The I-Fund is particularly structured to work for companies that want to monetize patented university research, software or IT-based solutions, or any innovation or proprietary technology that offers a “competitive advantage” or is likely to be patentable.
Outside of Arkansas (which offers a similar, but state-specific I-Fund program) the businesses that are accepted into the program can get up to $7,500 in proof-of-concept grant money to spend on their idea or product. I-Fund mentors and leaders teach the cohort members how to create a “lean canvas” model of your business, along with hor to perform extensive customer validation of the potential solution.
Businesses that are part of the program meet virtually with their mentors and instructors over several weeks as they move forward through the program.
The I-Fund is looking for 2020 applicants through February 23, 2020, so if you’re interested, visit f6x.com/deltaifund/ to apply.
Download the Delta I-Fund 2020 Spring Cohort brochure. (PDF)
