Explore these options:
You may also wish to check out other Virginia funding opportunities beyond VIPC through our Resources page.
Explore these options:
Learn more about how VIPC supports Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) with operational grants through its Regional Innovation Fund (RIF), as well as the Virginia Accelerator Network, which brings together ESOs dedicated to transforming startup growth across the Commonwealth.
You may also wish to check out other Virginia opportunities beyond VIPC through our Resources page.
Learn more about how VIPC supports Investment Fund Managers.
VIPC’s strategic initiatives are responsible for the development and facilitation of Virginia’s research and commercialization capabilities in emerging technology sectors, as well as for industry opportunities for commercialization and economic development in emerging markets.
The Unmanned Systems (UxS) Center at 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.
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.
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.
VIPC’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystems (EE) 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.
VIPC’s Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) is a state-funded program that awards competitive grants to Virginia-based entrepreneur 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.
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 is managed by VIPC’s entrepreneurial ecosystems team.
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 managed by VVP and
underwritten by the U.S. Treasury Department’s SSBCI program.
VIPC is committed to making Virginia the best place to create, grow, and scale innovative technologies and startups. Its grant and investment programs bridge critical funding gaps faced by innovators, founders, and companies at the earliest stages of the entrepreneurial journey.
VIPC fuels innovation in Virginia by advancing cutting-edge research and turning novel ideas into real-world solutions. Through competitive grants, VIPC supports universities in developing technologies at the earliest stages of commercialization and the infrastructure to support these efforts.
Through its Virginia Invests program, VIPC invests in venture capital fund managers committed to expanding investment and growth opportunities for Virginia-based, innovation-driven startups and entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Virginia’s vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem includes accelerators, incubators, technology councils, and other Virginia-based organizations that support entrepreneurs in their earliest stages. VIPC’s Regional Innovation Fund (RIF) provides grants to these organizations, enabling them to continue fostering science- and technology-based enterprises.