VIPC’s programs include: Virginia Invests | Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) | Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) | Virginia Accelerator Network | Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) | Smart Communities | The Virginia Smart Community Testbed | The Virginia Unmanned Systems Center | Virginia Advanced Air Mobility Alliance (VAAMA) | The Public Safety Innovation Center (PSIC) | Federal Funding Assistance Program (FFAP) for SBIR & STTR
The Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA) was established in 2020 to support the lifecycle of innovation, from translational research; to entrepreneurship; to pre-seed and seed-stage funding; as well as acceleration, growth, and commercialization, resulting in the creation of new jobs and company formation. The Authority provides a collaborative, consistent, and consolidated approach that will assist the Commonwealth in identifying its entrepreneurial strengths, including the identification of talents and resources that make the Commonwealth a unique place to grow and attract technology-based businesses. The VIPA, with VIPC as its operating arm, brings together components of existing and new program activities in an approach through which the whole is greater than the sum of the individual programs. VIPA’s design includes governance and management capabilities to ensure that programs generate transformative and measurable results. For more information, please visit www.VIPC.org.
Connecting innovators with opportunities.
VIPC operates as the nonprofit corporation on behalf of the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority (VIPA). VIPA / VIPC is Virginia’s designated authority for leading innovation and economic development in the Commonwealth of Virginia through research, commercialization, and technology advancement; entrepreneurship, startup, and venture capital growth; and regional ecosystem, innovation network, and industry sector expansion. As part of its operations, VIPC helps attract and catalyze private investment into early-stage startup companies, provides research and technology commercialization grants to universities and entrepreneurs, and offers resource and funding support for entrepreneurial ecosystems, innovation networks, and public-private partnerships at local, state, and federal levels.
VIPC’s programs include: Virginia Invests | Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) | Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) | Virginia Accelerator Network | Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) | Smart Communities | The Virginia Smart Community Testbed | The Virginia Unmanned Systems Center | Virginia Advanced Air Mobility Alliance (VAAMA) | The Public Safety Innovation Center (PSIC) | Federal Funding Assistance Program (FFAP) for SBIR & STTR.
For more information, please visit www.VIPC.org and follow VIPC on Facebook, X, and LinkedIn.
Virginia Venture Partners (VVP) is VIPC’s venture capital investment platform that makes direct investments in Virginia-based startups with a high potential for achieving rapid growth and generating a significant economic return for entrepreneurs, co-investors, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Since its inception in 2004, Virginia Venture Partners has helped catalyze investment in more than 300 startups and attract more than $2 billion of private industry capital into Virginia, resulting in 35x capital leverage.
Virginia Invests is a VIPC-led initiative that expands investment and growth opportunities for Virginia-based, innovation-driven startups and entrepreneurial ecosystems throughout the Commonwealth. The investment program is designed to accelerate capital invested, from both in-state and out-of-state fund managers, into Virginia startups, particularly those with female, black, Hispanic, Veteran, and/or rural-based founders. Virginia Invests is expected to catalyze and attract $250 million of investment into more than 100 high-growth Virginia startups during the next 3-5 years.
For more information about VVP and Virginia Invests, visit www.VIPC.org.
Virginia Invests is a VIPC-led initiative that expands investment and growth opportunities for Virginia-based, innovation-driven startups and entrepreneurial ecosystems throughout the Commonwealth. The investment program is designed to accelerate capital invested, from both in-state and out-of-state fund managers, into Virginia startups, particularly those with female, black, Hispanic, Veteran, and/or rural-based founders. Virginia Invests is expected to catalyze and attract $250 million of investment into more than 100 high-growth Virginia startups during the next 3-5 years. For more information, visit www.VIPC.org.
About
VIPC’s Commonwealth Commercialization Fund (CCF) accepts applications and awards funding to university research partners and entrepreneurial startups at the earliest stages of technology commercialization along the innovation continuum. These commercialization grants support R&D and early technology and market validation efforts such as the development of prototypes or minimum viable products (MVPs), customer pilots, and intellectual property protection. For more information on CCF funding opportunities and eligibility requirements, or to apply, visit www.VIPC.org.
VIPC’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Division (EED) acts as a supporter, connector, and convener for entrepreneurial ecosystems and startup communities throughout Virginia. These stakeholders include accelerators, incubators, innovation hubs, economic developers, technology councils, chambers of commerce, industry associations, and others who assist founders during the early stages of business formation and growth. EED manages the Regional Innovation Fund (RIF), a state-funded program that awards competitive grants to Virginia-based entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) that have a strong track record of assisting early-stage Virginia science and technology entrepreneurs and companies. RIF grants provide operational and program funding for successful ESOs and ecosystem-building initiatives. For more information, visit www.VIPC.org.
The Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) is a state-funded program that awards competitive grants to Virginia-based entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) that have a strong track record of assisting early-stage Virginia science and technology entrepreneurs and companies. RIF grants provide operational and program funding for successful ESOs and ecosystem-building initiatives. For more information, visit www.VIPC.org.
The Virginia Accelerator Network (VAN) is a statewide consortium of nonprofit entrepreneur support organizations (ESOs) representing accelerators, incubators, innovation hubs, ecosystem-building initiatives, and more that are dedicated to transforming economic development across the Commonwealth. VAN partners support the launch and growth of early-stage, innovation-based startups by providing a range of low-cost and free services to the founders of high-potential, high-growth companies in Virginia including but not limited to: assisting in company creation, providing expert business assistance, facilitating and/or making direct investments, professional coaching and mentoring, and speeding up the commercialization of technology into the marketplace. VAN is managed by the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC)’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystems team. For more information, visit www.VIPC.org.
VIPC’s Federal Funding Assistance Program (FFAP) is the Commonwealth’s premier support program for companies pursuing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and/or Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) funding. FFAP provides guidance, direction, training, funding, and other valuable resources to strengthen Virginia’s early-stage technology firms in their efforts to learn about, apply for, and be competitive when applying for SBIR and STTR grants. For more information, visit www.VIPC.org.
VIPC’s Strategic Initiatives develop and facilitate Virginia’s research and commercialization capabilities in emerging technology sectors, as well as industry opportunities for commercialization and economic development in emerging markets. Current programs under Strategic Initiatives include: the Virginia Unmanned Systems Center, the nexus for Virginia’s activity in UxS that includes land, air, sea, space, and advanced air mobility; the Public Safety Innovation Center (PSIC), which assists with the development, promotion, and implementation of new and improved technology for use by public safety emergency responders at the local, state, and federal level; and the Virginia Smart Community Testbed to prototype internet of things (IoT) and smart city technologies for emergency response and management. For more information, visit www.VIPC.org.
The Unmanned Systems (UxS) Center at the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC) is the nexus for Virginia’s UxS activities, including land, air, sea, space, and advanced air mobility (AAM). VIPC is the key source for UxS information, grants, partnerships, and seed funding, helping establish Virginia as a national leader in unmanned aircraft systems business since 2019. In collaboration with the Virginia Department of Aviation, VIPC has established the Virginia AAM Alliance (VAMMA), bringing together stakeholders to develop, grow, and promote the AAM industry in Virginia and beyond. For more details, visit www.VIPC.org.
The Public Safety Innovation Center (PSIC) at VIPC assists with the development, promotion, and implementation of new and improved technology for use by public safety emergency responders at the local, state, and federal levels. For more information, visit www.VIPC.org.
The Virginia Smart Community Testbed, located in Stafford, is the first smart city testbed involving an internet-of-things (IoT) platform. Open to innovators and entrepreneurs, it focuses on four target areas: public safety, data security and training, economic development and tourism, and 5G technology and broadband expansion. The Testbed is a “living laboratory” to develop practical, proven, and relevant smart technology solutions, helping accelerate emerging and smart technology growth in the Commonwealth and around the country. For more information, visit www.VIPC.org.